Skip to main content

Death toll rises to 22 after cargo plane carrying money crashes near Bolivia’s capital

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — The death toll rose to 22 on Saturday from the crash of a military plane carrying 18 tons of new banknotes a day earlier near Bolivia’s capital, damaging about a dozen vehicles and scattering bills on the ground, a police commander said Saturday.

Another 29 people were injured, mostly passengers traveling on public transportation where the plane crashed. Among the dead are 12 men, including one crew member, six women and four children, police commander Mirko Sokol said.

Forensic investigators were still recovering remains from the wreckage Saturday. The injured were taken to clinics in the city of El Alto, near La Paz, where the airport is located.

Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas said Friday that the Hercules C-130 plane was transporting newly printed Bolivian currency from the eastern city of Santa Cruz when it “landed and veered off the runway” at an airport in El Alto, a city adjacent to La Paz, before ending up in a nearby field. Firefighters managed to put out the flames that engulfed the aircraft.

Images on social media showed debris from the aircraft, destroyed cars and bodies scattered on the road. According to fire chief, Pavel Tovar, at least 15 vehicles were damaged.

The plane belonging to the Bolivian air force, was transporting money to La Paz and images on social media showed people rushing to collect the bills scattered at the crash site, while more than 500 soldiers and 100 police officers tried to disperse them, according to official reports.

To avoid more looting, police and military personnel burned the cash boxes in the presence of Central Bank President David Espinoza, who said the bills “have no legal value because they never entered circulation,” without clarifying.

Espinoza did not specify the amount of money being transported, but he said the banknotes had arrived in Santa Cruz from abroad.

Australian watchdog files legal action against Telegram, saying it failed to remove violent content

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s online safety watchdog has filed legal action against messaging app Telegram, saying the platform failed to remove extremist content including videos of white supremacist mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and the New Zealand city of Christchurch as well as Islamic State group beheadings. The United Arab Emirates-based app, which reports having 1 billion users worldwide, faces a fine of up to 54.6 million Australian dollars ($38 million) if convicted in the Australian Federal Court for “alleged failure to detect and remove pro-terror material,” eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said Thursday. The civil action is a test of Australia's 2021 law requiring tech platforms to work to keep illegal and pro-terrorism material off their networks. Telegram denied the claims. “We reject these allegations and will contest them in court,” a spokesperson said in a written statement sent on Telegram.
Read Next Story