El Alto, Bolivia , 28 February (H.S.): A Bolivian Air Force Hercules C-130 cargo plane transporting freshly printed banknotes from the Central Bank crashed onto a bustling avenue in El Alto near La Paz on Friday evening, claiming at least 15 lives and injuring over 30 others amid scenes of pandemonium.

The incident unfolded around 6:00 PM local time in adverse weather conditions, with preliminary reports indicating the aircraft lost altitude shortly after takeoff from El Alto International Airport, veering off the runway and slamming into vehicles on Costanera Avenue.

Fire Chief Pavel Tovar confirmed the toll but refrained from specifying whether fatalities occurred aboard the plane or among motorists, noting that at least 15 vehicles sustained damage as debris, wreckage, and bodies scattered across the roadway.

Eyewitness footage circulating on social media captured the surreal aftermath: hundreds of thousands of bolivianos littered the crash site, prompting crowds of locals to scramble for the bills while firefighters battled flames engulfing the fuselage.

Riot-geared police resorted to water hoses and tear gas to disperse the looters, securing the area for rescue operations that extinguished the blaze and began victim recovery.

Authorities swiftly shuttered El Alto International Airport, suspending all flights and causing widespread disruptions, as President Andrónico Rodríguez and Central Bank officials prepared statements on the human cost and currency recovery efforts.

The crash, amid conflicting accounts of takeoff versus landing phase, underscores ongoing concerns over aging military aircraft in Bolivia's fleet, with investigations now underway by the Ministry of Defense.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar