Bolivian military plane carrying banknotes crashes near capital, killing 20

Al JazeeraEN 2 min read 100% complete by David D. LeeFebruary 28, 2026 at 07:23 AM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

On February 28, 2026, a Bolivian Air Force Hercules C-130 plane carrying newly printed banknotes crashed near La Paz, killing at least 20 people and injuring over 30. The plane, attempting to land at El Alto International Airport in bad weather, skidded off the runway and crashed onto a busy highway. The cause of the crash is under investigation, with reports of a heavy hailstorm and lightning at the time. Following the crash, crowds gathered at the site, with some collecting scattered banknotes, prompting authorities to use tear gas and water hoses to control the scene. The Ministry of Defence stated the banknotes had no official serial number and no legal power.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Cristina Choque 30% Ministry of Defence 40% Hercules C-130 40% Rene Tambo 50% Marcelo Salinas 50% El Alto International Airport 60% La Paz 70% Bolivian Air Force 80% Bolivia 90%

Keywords

plane crash 100% banknotes 90% military plane 80% fatalities 70% transport plane 60% air force 60% looting 50% crash investigation 50% bad weather 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.80

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Bolivia

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis.

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plane crash banknotes military plane fatalities transport plane air force looting crash investigation bad weather

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