Two dead, 14 people missing after Bolivia army base blasts

At least 14 people are missing after two explosions at a military base in Bolivia that left two dead and more than 80 injured, the base commander said Saturday. 

The blasts occurred Friday afternoon at a base in the town of Viacha, 30 kilometers southwest of La Paz.

On Saturday, the streets were littered with rubble and windows in nearby buildings were shattered, an AFP photographer observed.

"Fourteen uniformed personnel who were in the area affected by the two explosions at the Viacha military base have not yet been located," base commander Colonel Antonio Amaru said in a statement, adding that search-and-rescue efforts were continuing.

Among the missing are a sergeant and 13 conscripts aged 18 and 19 performing their mandatory one-year military service.

Residents of the area were evacuated to a temporary shelter.

"It is not yet safe" for them to return home because "some houses were damaged by the shockwave," according to Defense Minister Ernesto Justiniano.

The power supply has been cut off in the affected area, where dozens of police officers have been deployed, an AFP correspondent reported.

The cause of the blasts is under investigation.

In a report Friday, Justiniano said the first explosion involved "black powder, corresponding to pyrotechnic material stored at the site," while the cause of the second, larger explosion was being analyzed.

Justiniano said that there were two successive blasts.

The first detonation was believed to have involved "black powder corresponding to pyrotechnic material stored at the site," he said.

It was followed by a "second detonation of much greater magnitude," he said, adding that the cause and the material that exploded were still being determined.

"At this time, our priority is people: caring for the injured, supporting their families, and continuing search and verification efforts," Justiniano said.

The defense ministry said no military weapons had been detonated.

President Rodrigo Paz on Friday expressed his "deep solidarity with the families of the deceased, the injured and all residents affected by the explosions."

He said he had ordered a "thorough, technical and transparent" investigation.

"We must establish with absolute clarity the causes of this event, verify compliance with safety protocols and determine any responsibilities that may arise," he said in a post on X.

Authorities in Viacha, a city of 114,000 inhabitants, declared three days of mourning.