At least 15 killed, dozens more injured as Bolivian military plane crashes in El Alto

Mangalore Today News Network

Bolivia, Feb 28, 2026: At least 15 people were killed and 30 others injured after a Bolivian Air Force Hercules aircraft crashed onto a busy road in bad weather in El Alto near the country’s capital, La Paz, on Friday.

The aircraft was carrying newly printed currency notes to the country’s interior regions, Bolivia’s Defence Ministry told local media.

The state-run air navigation authority, NAABOL, said the C-130 had taken off from Santa Cruz de la Sierra and crashed while attempting to land at El Alto International Airport. Fatalities were reported both on the roadway and within the airport premises.

Following the crash, the airport was temporarily shut down, national carrier Boliviana de Aviación said in a statement.

Local reports said the aircraft sustained severe damage, and several vehicles on the road where it came down were also wrecked.

Footage aired by local media showed large crowds gathering to collect scattered currency notes from the crash site, prompting police to fire tear gas to disperse them.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known.