Bolivia: Two killed and 59 injured after explosions at military storage facility

Two people died and 59 were injured after two explosions struck a military facility in Viacha, about 35 kilometers from La Paz near Bolivia’s border with Peru. Seven people remained missing as rescue workers searched through the site.

The facility housed pyrotechnic materials. Authorities were still investigating what triggered the blasts, which occurred on Friday night inside the Bolívar Mechanized Artillery Regiment’s General Maintenance Center.

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Unfortunately, two people died.

Police Deputy Commander Roger Roca confirmed the deaths. He said the explosions occurred in an area used for training and weapons repairs. The blasts damaged several nearby homes and parts of the military infrastructure, while also starting a fire that firefighters quickly brought under control.

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I express my deepest solidarity with the families of those who died, those who were injured and all the residents affected by the explosions recorded at the Bolívar Regiment facilities in the municipality of Viacha.

The injured were taken to nearby hospitals, with some transported to La Paz. Police commands from La Paz and El Alto, along with the departmental fire chief, went to the site to manage the emergency and support the search. Initial police findings indicated that most of the injured were military personnel, while six were civilians.

President Rodrigo Paz Pereira expressed solidarity with the victims and affected residents. He said he had ordered “a thorough, technical and transparent investigation” to establish the cause, verify compliance with safety protocols and determine responsibility.

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I have ordered a thorough, technical and transparent investigation into what happened. We must establish with absolute clarity the causes of this incident, verify compliance with safety protocols and determine the responsibilities that apply.