Military Plane Crash in Bolivia Kills 20, Injures 28

On Friday, a military cargo plane, a C-130 Hercules manufactured by Lockheed Martin, crashed near El Alto International Airport in Bolivia, resulting in at least 20 deaths and injuring 28 others. The aircraft was transporting banknotes when it crash-landed, veering off the runway and destroying several vehicles on a nearby business avenue.

Eyewitnesses reported heavy hail and lightning at the time of the incident. Cristina Choqu, a 60-year-old vendor, described her car being struck by debris from the aircraft.

Colonel Rene Tambo, head of the police homicide division in El Alto, confirmed the death toll, which was initially reported as 15 to 16 by Colonel Pavel Tovar of the national fire department. The Bolivian Air Navigation Authority has suspended operations at the airport and the Defense Ministry announced a full investigation into the crash.

The transport of cash was noted to have no official serial number, raising legal concerns.