Death toll from Bolivia army base blasts rises to six

Bolivia military base explosions kill six, 11 remain missing. (Photo/Reuters)

Three more bodies have been recovered from the rubble of explosions at an army base in Bolivia, raising the death toll to six, the Ministry of Defence confirmed in a statement.

The explosions occurred on Friday afternoon in Viacha, a city of more than 100,000 residents located roughly 30 kilometres south-west of the administrative capital, La Paz.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the military facility was used to store confiscated fireworks, grenades, and TNT-based explosives.

Three of the dead were confirmed as soldiers, whilst the identities of the three bodies recovered in recent hours remain unverified.

"The death toll from Friday's explosions at the military facility in Viacha has risen to six," the ministry stated, placing the number of missing personnel and conscripts at 11.

Casualties and investigation

Rescue teams continued searching through the debris on Sunday.

The violent shockwaves tore roofs off structures, launched rocks across the vicinity, uprooted trees, and damaged dozens of civilian homes in adjacent neighbourhoods.

Whilst the precise cause of the detonations remains under active investigation, the public prosecutor's office in Viacha has initiated a formal inquiry into manslaughter and associated criminal offences.

The disaster has triggered sharp political recriminations.

Evo Morales, Bolivia's first Indigenous president who led the nation from 2006 to 2019, strongly criticised centre-right President Rodrigo Paz over the administration's handling of the crisis.

"The irresponsibility with which the government has handled this tragic event is nothing less than a war crime that warrants a complaint before the International Criminal Court," Morales wrote on the X platform.

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Source: TRT