Violence in Bolivia: Dead and injured after explosions at military building

Two explosions at a military building in the Bolivian city of Viacha killed at least two people and injured 81 others, according to authorities. Seven people remained missing after the blasts, which struck the city in the La Paz region.

Defense Minister Ernesto Justiniano said the explosions occurred in quick succession. The first apparently involved black powder stored at the site. A second blast, described as “of substantially greater scale,” followed soon afterward. Officials were still investigating what material caused the second explosion.

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of substantially greater scale

The Defense Ministry said the blasts were not linked to army weapons. Local media footage showed black smoke rising above the building in the city center, while nearby houses also suffered damage. Viacha lies about 30 kilometers southwest of La Paz and has roughly 100,000 residents.

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thorough

Two of the injured were in serious condition and received medical treatment. Most of those hurt were civilians, while the dead and missing were army members, the ministry said. Affected residents were moved to emergency shelters, and electricity was cut off in the area.

The figures differed from an earlier account by local health director Rita Nebraska, who told local television that as many as 15 people had died and more than 60 had been injured. President Rodrigo Paz expressed condolences to the victims’ families and called for a “thorough” and “transparent” investigation into the cause of the detonations.

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transparent