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🇵🇦 Panama /Conflict & Security

Two dead and 81 injured after explosions at Bolivian military facility

From TVN Panamá · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Named sources Under investigation
  • Two people died and 81 were injured after two explosions at a Bolivian military facility storing pyrotechnic material in Viacha, south of La Paz.
  • Seven military personnel were reported missing, and two of the injured were in serious condition, according to the Defense Ministry.
  • Authorities evacuated nearby residents and opened a criminal investigation while determining the cause of the second, larger blast.

Two powerful explosions tore through a Bolivian military facility storing pyrotechnic material, killing two people and injuring 81 others in Viacha, a city 30 kilometers south of La Paz.

At this moment, we have confirmed two fatalities and seven people reported missing.

· Ernesto JustinianoBolivia's defense minister gave the initial casualty and missing-person figures.

The blasts struck at around 2:30 p.m. local time on Friday. The second explosion caused the greater damage, sending debris through the air, breaking windows in nearby homes and raising a dense column of black smoke over the city. Police closed off the area around the facility as firefighters used water tankers to reduce the remaining heat.

Seven people were initially reported missing. Defense Minister Ernesto Justiniano said the dead and missing were military personnel serving at the installation. Two of the injured were in serious condition. An earlier police report had listed the same number of deaths and missing people but 59 injured.

We also have 81 people reported injured, two of them in serious condition.

· Ernesto JustinianoThe defense minister provided the updated injury toll.

Nearby residents were evacuated to a temporary shelter. Justiniano said it was still not safe for them to return because some homes had been damaged by the blast wave. Electricity supplies were interrupted in the affected area, while crews continued removing debris. Police spokesman Col. Roger Roca said, "The incident is under control."

The incident is under control.

· Roger RocaThe police spokesman described the situation as crews worked to clear debris and contain the heat.

Justiniano said the first explosion may have involved black powder used in pyrotechnic material stored at the site. The cause of the second, much larger blast, and the material involved, remained under investigation. The Defense Ministry said no military weaponry had detonated. Prosecutors opened a criminal inquiry into possible negligent homicide, negligent injuries and other damage. President Rodrigo Paz called for a thorough, technical and transparent investigation.

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

· Rodrigo PazBolivia's president called for an investigation in a post on X.
About this summary

Originally published by TVN Panamá in Spanish. Translated, 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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