At least two people were killed, 14 others remain missing, and more than 60 people were injured after a powerful explosion ripped through a Bolivian military installation near the capital, La Paz, authorities said Saturday.
The blast occurred at around 2:30 p.m. local time at the Bolívar Military Barracks in Viacha, about 30 kilometers southwest of La Paz, in an area used to store pyrotechnic and explosive materials belonging to Bolivia’s Defense Ministry. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
Bolivia’s Defense Ministry confirmed two deaths and said rescue teams were searching for 14 missing people believed to have been inside or near the storage facility when the explosion occurred. Emergency responders, police, firefighters, and military personnel were deployed to the site as authorities established a security perimeter over fears of additional explosions.
Local health officials reported 62 injuries, including civilians and military personnel. Fourteen of the injured were transferred to hospitals in La Paz for specialized treatment, while a young girl suffered third-degree burns and remains among the most seriously injured victims.
The explosion’s shockwave shattered windows and damaged homes surrounding the military base, forcing nearby residents to evacuate. Firefighters warned that a persistent heat source inside the damaged storage area posed a continuing risk of secondary detonations as cooling and recovery operations continued.
Defense Minister Ernesto Justiniano said investigators were examining how pyrotechnic materials stored at the facility detonated and whether safety protocols had been followed. Authorities have not ruled out technical failure or improper storage but said no official conclusion has been reached.
The Viacha explosion is one of the deadliest accidents reported at a Bolivian military installation in recent years and has prompted renewed scrutiny of the storage and handling of explosive materials at military facilities across the country.
