Explosion at Bolivia military base kills at least 10 after fireworks stockpile catches fire
Posted Sat 5 Sep 2026 at 1:22pmSat 5 Sep 2026 at 1:22pmSat 5 Sep 2026 at 1:22pm
In short:
An explosion at an army barracks in Bolivia has left at least 10 people dead and more than 60 wounded.
Fireworks were stored at the base in the western city of Viacha but the cause of the blast remains under investigation, police say.
What’s next?
Local health director Rita Nebraska says 14 of the wounded are being treated in La Paz hospitals, including a girl with third-degree burns.
At least 10 people have been killed and dozens more were injured after an explosion at a military barracks in the Bolivian municipality of Viacha, about 30 kilometres from La Paz.
The blast occurred about 2:30pm on Friday, in an area used to store pyrotechnic material, local authorities said.
While the cause has yet to be established, officials say the blast originated from the defence ministry’s fireworks stockpile.
Viacha health director Rita Nebraska told local media that between 10 and 15 people were believed to have died in the incident, while 62 people were injured.
Fourteen of the wounded were transferred to hospitals in La Paz, including a girl with third-degree burns, she said.
Police said more than 50 people were injured and dozens of homes damaged, largely by windows shattered in the blast.
Ambulances, medical teams and police were deployed to the military complex to assess the damage and evacuate the wounded to health centres.
The shockwave from the explosion shattered windows and structurally damaged dozens of nearby civilian homes.
Nebraska said firefighters had warned that a heat source remained at the site, raising the risk of another explosion.
She urged residents to stay at least 150 metres away.
Bolivia is a landlocked nation located in central South America, bordered by Brazil, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Paraguay.
It has a diverse population of about 12 million people.
Reuters/ABC