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Bolivian police have confirmed that two people died with seven others listed as missing after an explosion at the Centro General de Mantenimiento del RAM-2 ‘Bolívar’ military facility in Viacha on September 4. National police subcommander Roger Roca told reporters that 59 people were injured in the incident while activities to determine what occurred at the site remain underway. The Defense Ministry had initially reported no loss of life after the detonation of stored pyrotechnic materials but police updated the toll as emergency teams continued to search the area.
The blast took place around 2:30 p.m. local time in an area used to store fireworks belonging to the Defense Ministry according to multiple official accounts. Viacha lies roughly 30 to 35 kilometers from La Paz and the facility is situated in a central part of the municipality where the explosion produced a column of thick black smoke visible from surrounding areas. A technical investigation has been launched to establish the precise causes the amount of material involved and the full extent of damage an assessment from the Defense Ministry stated.
Health authorities in Viacha reported that the 59 injured included 52 civilians along with military personnel police officers and premilitary trainees. Viacha health director Rita Nebraska told local television stations that 14 of the wounded were transferred to hospitals in La Paz including a girl suffering third-degree burns while eight victims sustained injuries of great magnitude. The La Paz departmental health service added that six minors were among those hurt with lacerations to their legs and backs though none were in critical condition at the time of the reports.
Police said more than 50 people suffered injuries while dozens of nearby homes sustained damage primarily from windows shattered by the force of the blast. Ambulances medical teams and law enforcement personnel were deployed to the complex to evaluate the scene and transport the wounded to treatment centers as firefighters warned of the possibility of further detonations due to residual heat. The incident also caused power outages in parts of Viacha according to local media accounts that cited residents in the area.
Defense Minister Ernesto Justiniano Urenda stated that the explosion occurred in a sector where pyrotechnic material was stored and that the ministry had ordered the area secured while corresponding actions were activated to clarify all circumstances. An early statement from the Defense Ministry described the detonation as accidental and noted considerable material damage to infrastructure and depots but stressed that information would be updated as technical evaluations progressed. The ministry has not yet specified the exact quantity of stored pyrotechnics or the monetary value of losses.
The RAM-2 ‘Bolívar’ regiment functions as a general maintenance center for the Bolivian army and the presence of civilians in the vicinity contributed to the high number of non-military casualties authorities indicated. Police subcommander Roca emphasized that the site is now under control as searches for the missing continue amid the ongoing probe. No further updates on the identities of the deceased or the status of those unaccounted for had been released as of September 5.
