At least two people were killed and 81 others injured on Friday after two explosions struck a Bolivian army facility in the town of Viacha, southwest of the administrative capital La Paz, according to authorities.
Bolivian Defence Minister Ernesto Justiniano said the blasts occurred at the RAM-2 “Bolívar” General Maintenance Centre, a site used to store pyrotechnic material. He said seven people remained unaccounted for as search efforts continued into the evening.
Bolivia Military Base Explosion: What caused the explosions?
Justiniano said preliminary information indicated the first explosion involved black powder from pyrotechnic material stored at the facility, while the cause of the second, considerably larger blast was still being investigated. He stressed that no weaponry of any kind had detonated during the incident, seeking to rule out an early theory that munitions had been involved.
Footage circulating on social media appeared to show a large plume of smoke rising from the site following one of the blasts, with the shockwave reported to have shattered windows and damaged homes in the surrounding area.
Bolivia Military Base Explosion: How many people were hurt and who were they?
Officials said the injured included both military personnel and civilians living near the base, with the defence ministry stating that the majority of casualties were local residents caught by flying glass and debris rather than personnel on site. Some reports from local health officials later put the death toll as high as ten, with more than 60 people injured, figures that authorities said could shift further as rescue teams worked through the site.
Bolivia Military Base Explosion: What has the president said about the incident?
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz offered condolences to victims’ families in a post on social media, writing that he had ordered a “thorough, technical, and transparent investigation into what happened.” He said establishing the exact causes of the explosion, verifying whether safety protocols had been followed, and determining accountability would be central to the inquiry.
Bolivia Military Base Explosion: What is being done for those still affected?
Justiniano told reporters that the immediate priority was to protect residents, treat the injured, and continue searching for those still missing, adding that displaced families would only be allowed to return home once the area had been confirmed safe. Emergency services, including ambulances, firefighters and police, were deployed to the site to evacuate casualties to medical centres in Viacha and nearby La Paz, with some patients, including a child with severe burns, transferred for specialist treatment.
Bolivia Military Base Explosion: Is this the first such incident at a Bolivian military site?
Bolivia has experienced deadly explosions before, though rarely at a military installation of this kind. The country’s worst previous blast in recent memory occurred in 2018, when explosions during carnival celebrations in the city of Oruro killed a dozen people, though officials have not suggested any link between that earlier incident and Friday’s explosions in Viacha.
Bolivia Military Base Explosion: What happens next in the investigation?
Authorities said the inquiry would focus on how the pyrotechnic material came to be stored at the facility, whether existing safety protocols were adequate, and whether any individuals bore responsibility for the blasts. Justiniano said residents were being urged to stay well clear of the site while investigators worked, citing ongoing safety concerns at the facility.
