At least 24 people have died when a Bolivian air force plane crashed into cars in the city of El Alto, according to local police chief Heriberto Valencia.
“There were reports of 22 dead, but now we know it is 24“, he told television channel ED24.
Meanwhile, Bolivian Health Minister Marcela Flores said two of the injured remained in critical condition. Earlier, 37 people were reported injured.
A military cargo plane carrying new Bolivian banknotes crashed near the capital on Friday on a busy road in the neighboring city of El Alto while landing at El Alto International Airport after taking off from Santa Cruz, the national air traffic control agency said.
The Bolivian Air Force C-130 Hercules plane took off from the eastern city of Santa Cruz and skidded off the runway before hitting multiple vehicles on a busy boulevard, damaging a dozen cars before coming to rest in a nearby field, officials confirmed.
Fire Chief Pavel Tovar said emergency crews were still determining whether the deaths occurred on board the plane or among drivers on the highway. Firefighters later extinguished the flames caused by the impact. The plane was carrying newly printed Bolivian banknotes, which scattered across the roadway during the crash, causing chaotic scenes as residents rushed to collect the money while riot police tried to disperse the crowds.
Authorities used water hoses to push people out of the debris area. The defense ministry did not immediately release operational details.