• At least 15 people killed after a Bolivian military cargo plane carrying banknotes crashes.
• Plane crashed in busy El Alto, damaging vehicles and scattering cash across the ground.
• Authorities used tear gas and water hoses to control crowds grabbing the bills.

On February 27, a Bolivian Air Force military cargo plane crashed while attempting to land near El Alto, resulting in at least 15 fatalities and over 30 injuries. The aircraft, a Hercules C-130, was transporting newly printed banknotes from Santa Cruz when it veered off the runway and collided with vehicles on a busy road, according to authorities and local reports, including Reuters and India Times.

The crash site was chaotic as people rushed to collect cash scattered across the roadway, prompting police to use tear gas and water hoses to control the crowd. Eyewitnesses reported seeing debris littered across the area, and images shared on social media depicted the severe damage inflicted on cars along the roadway, according to CBS News, Le Monde, and LA Times.

Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas confirmed that the plane crashed due to poor weather conditions, including a heavy hailstorm. The military continues to investigate the incident while fire crews worked to extinguish flames that engulfed the aircraft post-crash, as reported by South China Morning Post and Al Jazeera.

The Bolivian Air Force confirmed that cash collected at the scene has "no legal value" since it had not entered circulation, underlining the chaos that ensued as people attempted to gather it. Authorities have since warned that possession of the money is considered a crime, as reported by Anadolu Agency and South China Morning Post.