The death toll from a Bolivian military cargo plane crash near the capital La Paz has risen to 22, officials said on Saturday, warning that investigators may need more than a year to determine the cause.
The C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, veered off the runway at El Alto International Airport on Friday before crashing onto a busy avenue. The impact destroyed several cars and damaged trucks.
National police chief Mirko Sokol confirmed that 22 people, including four children, lost their lives. “Only nine of them have been identified,” he told reporters. “We have bodies that were completely mutilated.”
Authorities have not disclosed the total number of people on board or confirmed whether anyone survived. They have, however, ended rescue operations. Fatalities occurred both at the airport and along the road where the aircraft came down.
Defence Minister Raul Salinas said the plane had departed from the eastern city of Santa Cruz with eight crew members on board. One crew member died in the crash. The health ministry reported that 37 people sustained injuries.
The government of President Rodrigo Paz has opened an investigation. Officials said they do not yet know the cause of the incident, though witnesses cited poor weather conditions.
Investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder on Saturday. The defence ministry said analysis could take from several weeks to more than a year.
Wreckage lay scattered across the road where the aircraft fell. Bystanders rushed to collect banknotes strewn across the scene, prompting police to fire tear gas to disperse the crowd. Authorities later burned the newly printed money at the crash site.
The defence ministry said the transported banknotes carried no official serial numbers and therefore held no legal or purchasing power.
On Saturday, bystanders again attempted to approach the site. Police responded with further tear gas to keep them back.
