Death toll rises to three after explosions at Bolivian military barracks

The death toll from two explosions at a military barracks in Bolivia rose to three after rescuers found the body of an unidentified man among the rubble.

Ana Katherine Ramírez, national director of Bolivia’s Forensic Investigations Institute, said the body would undergo an autopsy. The Public Prosecutor’s Office said the discovery brought the number of confirmed deaths to three.

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the risk in the area is still high

The blasts occurred Friday afternoon at the General Maintenance Center of the RAM-2 “Bolívar” Mechanized Artillery Regiment in Viacha, about 35 kilometers from La Paz. Authorities said the first explosion may have involved black powder from pyrotechnic material stored at the barracks. Investigators are still determining what material caused the more powerful second blast.

Fourteen military personnel remain missing and 84 people were injured. The explosions damaged the barracks and neighboring homes, whose occupants were temporarily evacuated. Defense Minister Ernesto Justiniano warned that the area remained highly dangerous and said specialized work had to be completed before heavy machinery could enter to clear the debris.

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explosive multiplier

Authorities were also removing military material from another damaged depot. A police expert said the barracks contained “boosters”, explosive multipliers that can increase the force of another detonation. Prosecutors opened an investigation into possible negligent homicide, negligent injuries and other damage.

Bolivia’s ombudsman, Pedro Callisaya, called for a prompt, transparent and impartial investigation and clear, immediate information for the families of those reported missing. The United Nations system in Bolivia expressed solidarity with the affected families and offered to support the authorities’ response.

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transparent and impartial