Bolivia reports 14 missing after explosions at military facility, including a sergeant and 13 conscripts

Fourteen people remain missing after two explosions struck Bolivia's Bolívar Regiment in Viacha, 30 kilometers southwest of La Paz. The blasts killed two people and injured more than 80, according to the Defense Ministry's latest figures.

Colonel Antonio Amaru, commander of the military facility, said the missing include 14 uniformed personnel who were in the affected area. The group consists of a sergeant, who works for the armed forces, and 13 conscripts aged 18 and 19. Bolivia requires a year of military service.

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Fourteen uniformed personnel who were in the sector affected by the two explosions recorded at the Viacha military center have not been located so far.

“Search, rescue and debris-removal operations continue in the affected area,” Amaru said. An earlier government report had listed seven missing people before the number was revised to 14.

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The search, rescue and debris-removal operations continue in the affected area.

The explosions occurred Friday afternoon. By Saturday, the damaged garrison still had destroyed walls, while debris covered streets and metal light poles stood bent. Trees had fallen, windows in nearby homes were broken, and relatives waited for an official account of what had happened to those still missing.

Defense Minister Ernesto Justiniano said the first explosion apparently involved black powder from pyrotechnic material stored at the site. The second blast was much more powerful, and authorities are still examining what caused it. Firefighters said the incident had been brought under control. Viacha Mayor Jenrry Patzi criticized the municipality's lack of a second-level hospital to support the response.

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There isn't a damn second-level hospital in the municipality to support this.