Twin Explosions at Bolivian Military Arsenal Near La Paz Leave Multiple Dead, Dozens Injured

Officials report seven individuals remain unaccounted for following the blasts at a site containing pyrotechnic supplies.

Published On 5 Sep 20265 Sep 2026

Two successive explosions ripped through a military installation in the Bolivian city of Viacha, resulting in the deaths of at least ten people and injuries to dozens more, according to local authorities.

The incident took place on Friday within a section of the base designated for storing pyrotechnic materials, located roughly 30 kilometers from La Paz, the nation’s administrative capital, as confirmed by Bolivia’s Ministry of Defence.

Rita Nebraska, the health director for Viacha, informed a local television outlet that the death toll was estimated between ten and fifteen, with sixty-two individuals sustaining injuries.

She further noted that fourteen of the wounded, including a young girl suffering from severe third-degree burns, were transported to medical centers in La Paz for specialized care.

While the military base housed fireworks, police spokesperson Roger Roca stated that the precise cause of the detonations is currently being investigated. He also confirmed that seven people remain unaccounted for.

Authorities have cautioned that a thermal hazard persists at the location. Nebraska urged local residents to maintain a distance of at least 150 meters from the site due to the potential for further detonations.

Law enforcement reported that numerous adjacent residences suffered structural damage, with many civilians sustaining injuries from flying glass.

Ernesto Justiniano Urenda, the Deputy Minister of Defence, issued a statement confirming that approximately fifty civilians and six military personnel injured in the blasts “have been treated … by the different medical centres of Viacha.”

An official inquiry has been initiated to establish the origin of the explosions, assess the storage protocols for the pyrotechnic materials, and determine any potential liability, he added.

Video footage circulating on social media captured the moment one of the blasts shattered windows in surrounding structures, propelling debris skyward as dense black smoke billowed from the facility.

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