Two dead, 14 people missing after Bolivia army base blasts

VIACHA, Bolivia (AFP)—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 facility where explosives are stored in the town of Viacha, home to about 114,00 people and located 30 kilometers southwest of La Paz. On Saturday, streets were littered with rubble and windows in nearby buildings were shattered. A black plume of smoke rose from the damaged building as firefighters worked to clear debris from the site, 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 underway. The Ministry of Defense said the dead were two young men who had been serving their first year of mandatory military service. The missing include a sergeant and 13 conscripts aged 18 and 19. Military police set up a security cordon to prevent people from swarming the site. Some indigenous Aymara people tearfully asked soldiers about their relatives, while others tried in vain to force their way in, an AFP reporter saw. Irineo Mamani, 65, said he just wanted to confirm if his son was on the list of missing persons. "We just want them to tell us if a certain soldier is here, and that's all," he said. - 'Shockwave' - The force of the blasts tore off roofs, sent rocks flying and uprooted trees, affecting dozens of nearby homes. Area residents 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. "At this time, our priority is people: caring for the injured, supporting their families, and continuing search and verification efforts," Justiniano said. The second explosion "blew me five meters backward," a neighborhood resident with facial injuries told the newspaper El Deber, adding that he had lost consciousness. Viacha Mayor Jenrry Patzi lamented that the city didn't have adequate medical facilities to tend to the injured so that they had to be transferred to the cities of El Alto and La Paz. 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 declared three days of mourning, while the town's public prosecutor's office said Saturday it had opened an investigation into manslaughter and other crimes.