At least 10 people died, and dozens were injured on Friday following an explosion at a military barracks in Viacha, a Bolivian municipality located around 30 km (19 miles) from La Paz, local authorities said.
The explosion took place at approximately 2:30 p.m. (1830 GMT) in a section where pyrotechnic materials were stored, officials said.
Authorities have yet to determine what caused the blast. Officials, however, said it originated from a fireworks stockpile belonging to the defence ministry.
PANICKED CROWD FLEES SCREAMING as HUGE BLAST ROCKS Bolivia military base — 58 INJURED https://t.co/SbYGiTUAye pic.twitter.com/nZc1trrCw6
— RT (@RT_com) September 4, 2026
Viacha health director Rita Nebraska told local television that the death toll was believed
to be between 10 and 15, while 62 people were injured. Fourteen injured people were taken to hospitals in La Paz, including a girl who suffered third-degree burns, she said.
More than 50 people were injured, and dozens of homes sustained damage, police said. Much of the damage was caused by windows being shattered by the explosion.
Medical teams, ambulances and police personnel were sent to the military complex to evaluate the situation and transport the wounded to health centres.
Nebraska said firefighters had cautioned that a heat source was still present at the site, creating the possibility of another explosion. She urged residents to remain at least 150 meters away from the area.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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