Blasts at Bolivian military base kill at least 10 and injure dozens

At least 10 people died and dozens were injured after two explosions tore through a Bolivian military facility in Viacha, where pyrotechnic material was stored. Seven people remained missing, authorities said.

The blasts struck on Friday about 30 kilometers from La Paz, Bolivia’s administrative capital. Viacha health director Rita Nebraska told local television that between 10 and 15 people were believed to have died and that 62 others were injured. Fourteen wounded people, including a girl with third-degree burns, were transferred to hospitals in La Paz.

Fireworks were kept at the facility, but police spokesman Roger Roca said investigators had not determined what caused the explosions. They were also examining how the material had been stored and whether anyone was responsible, Deputy Defence Minister Ernesto Justiniano Urenda said.

A heat source remained at the site, Nebraska said, citing firefighters’ warnings. She urged residents to stay at least 150 metres away because of the risk of another explosion. Police said shattered glass injured civilians and damaged dozens of nearby homes. Urenda said about 50 civilians and six military personnel had received treatment at medical centres in Viacha.

Videos posted on social media showed one blast breaking windows in nearby buildings and sending debris into the air as thick black smoke rose over the facility.