At least two people have lost their lives, another 59 have been injured, and seven are still missing after the explosions recorded this Friday near a military facility in the Bolivian municipality of Viacha, in the department of La Paz, according to the Bolivian Police.
The deputy commander of the Police, Colonel Roger Roca, has indicated that emergency teams and law enforcement continue to be deployed in the damaged area and that, once the clearing and securing tasks are completed, a formal investigation will be initiated to clarify what happened.
"We have seven missing persons at the moment and it has been physically confirmed that there are two deceased persons, there are also 59 injured persons so far. From here on, investigative activities will be carried out to determine what happened in this place," the police chief communicated in statements collected by the newspaper 'El Deber'.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of this Friday at the General Maintenance Center of the Artillery and Maintenance Regiment (RAM-2) 'Bolívar', located in a central area of Viacha. Local authorities have specified that a detonation was recorded in an area where pyrotechnic material was stored.
The Ministry of Defense initially reported that 58 people had been injured, 52 civilians and six military personnel, who were treated at various health centers in Viacha. In that initial statement, the government department avoided confirming the number of fatalities, claiming that preliminary data needed to be verified before disseminating a definitive balance.
While search efforts continue among the debris and material damages are being assessed, authorities have cordoned off the area. Both access to the affected military facility and entry to neighboring homes remain restricted by police and military personnel.
The explosions have also caused power outages in several sectors of Viacha. The distribution company Delapaz has indicated that nearly twenty neighborhoods were initially left without electricity as a result of the incident. Although the company announced the restoration of service at 4:44 PM (local time), residents of the city have reported to local media that in some areas the supply did not return until after 6:00 PM.
The impossibility of safely accessing the area affected by the detonation currently prevents the completion of the necessary work to normalize the electrical service in certain homes.
In light of this scenario, the authorities have recommended that residents in the vicinity seek another place to stay overnight, as the perimeter will remain closed and under police and military surveillance during the night.
The Ministry of Defense has assured that the isolation of the affected area has been ordered, the mobilization of all necessary resources for the care of the injured, and support for the affected families and neighbors. Likewise, it has announced the opening of a technical investigation to determine the origin of the detonation, the conditions in which the stored material was found, and, if applicable, to clarify the responsibilities arising from the incident.