Two explosions at an army barracks in Bolivia's Viacha killed at least two people and injured 81 others on Friday, authorities said, with seven soldiers still reported missing.
The blasts occurred at around 2:30 pm (1830 GMT) at the military base in Viacha, a city southwest of Bolivia's administrative capital La Paz. Defence Minister Ernesto Justiniano said "pyrotechnic material" was stored at the base and that the exact cause of the explosions remained under investigation.
Local media footage showed a thick column of black smoke rising from the city centre following the blasts. Nearby homes were also damaged, with shattered windows, broken ceilings and debris reported in several areas.
Justiniano confirmed that two people had died and seven others were missing. The Defence Ministry said those killed and missing were soldiers serving at the base.
The injured were taken to medical centres for treatment, including two people who were reported to be in serious condition. An earlier police report had put the number of injured at 59, with at least 52 of them civilians, before authorities revised the toll.
Firefighters rushed to the military base after the explosions, while residents from nearby areas were evacuated to a temporary shelter. Electricity was also cut off in the area, where dozens of police officers were deployed to maintain security and assist with the emergency response.
Two successive blasts
Justiniano said the incident involved two successive detonations. The first explosion was believed to have involved black powder contained in pyrotechnic material stored at the site.
A second explosion followed shortly afterwards and was significantly more powerful, the minister said. Investigators were still working to determine what caused the second blast and what material was involved.
The Defence Ministry said no military weapons had detonated during the incident.
President orders probe
President Rodrigo Paz expressed his "deep solidarity" with the families of those killed and injured, as well as residents affected by the explosions.
Paz said he had ordered a "thorough, technical and transparent" investigation to establish the exact cause of the incident, determine whether safety protocols were followed and identify any responsibility arising from the blasts.
"We must establish with absolute clarity the causes of this event, verify compliance with safety protocols and determine any responsibilities that may arise," he said in a post on X.
Authorities in Viacha have declared three days of mourning following the incident.
Also Read:
