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🇦🇺 Australia /Conflict & Security

Explosion at Bolivia military base kills at least 10

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Named sources Ongoing story
  • An explosion at a Bolivian military barracks in Viacha killed at least 10 people and injured more than 60, authorities said.
  • The blast occurred near a Defence Ministry fireworks stockpile, but police have not established its cause.
  • Firefighters warned of another possible explosion because a heat source remained at the site, prompting officials to urge residents to stay 150 metres away.

At least 10 people were killed and more than 60 injured when an explosion tore through a military barracks in Viacha, a city about 30 kilometres from La Paz.

The blast struck at about 2:30pm on Friday in an area used to store pyrotechnic material. Local authorities said it originated from the Defence Ministry's fireworks stockpile, although police said the cause remained under investigation.

Viacha health director Rita Nebraska told local media that between 10 and 15 people were believed to have died. She said 62 people were injured and 14 were transferred to hospitals in La Paz, including a girl with third-degree burns.

The explosion's shockwave shattered windows and caused structural damage to dozens of nearby civilian homes. Ambulances, medical teams and police went to the military complex to assess the damage and evacuate the wounded. Firefighters warned that a lingering heat source could trigger another explosion, and Nebraska urged residents to stay at least 150 metres away from the site.

About this summary

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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