Death toll rises to 3 in Bolivia army base blasts

The death toll rose to three after two explosions at a military base in Bolivia, the prosecutor's office said Saturday, as rescue teams worked to clear debris and find people who are still missing.

The blasts occurred Friday afternoon at a facility where explosives, including grenades and TNT, are stored in the town of Viacha, home to about 114,000 people and located 30 kilometers (18 miles) southwest of La Paz.

Streets in the area remained littered with rubble on Saturday and windows in nearby buildings were shattered.

"Amid the rubble the lifeless body of a man was recovered," prosecutor Katherine Ramirez said in a statement, announcing an investigation and bringing the total casualties to "three people deceased so far."

The deaths reported earlier were two young men who had been serving their first year of mandatory military service. Another 84 people were injured in the blasts.

Ramirez did not specify if the third body reduces the number of missing soldiers from the 14 reported earlier. They were identified by defense officials as a sergeant and 13 conscripts, ages 18 to 19.

The cause of the blasts, which sent a plume of smoke into the air, was under investigation.

AFP observed dozens of people crowding around outside a police cordon at the blast site, seeking information about missing relatives.

Some indigenous Aymara people tearfully asked soldiers about their loved ones, while others tried in vain to force their way in, an AFP reporter saw.

"They haven't moved even a single stone, not even a bit of cement, they haven't moved anything. My nephew is still inside the rubble," Adolfo Copa told AFP.

Irineo Mamani, 65, said he just wanted to confirm if his son was on the list of missing persons.

"We just want them to tell us if a certain soldier is there, and that's all," he said.

But Ministry of Defense chief Ernesto Justiniano warned "the risk in the area is still high" because there are powerful explosives that have not yet been removed.

"In a specific area we went in and we still saw some devices... TNT with great explosive power," Justiniano said. The ministry announced the creation of a "crisis committee" to assist those affected.

- 'Shockwave' -

The force of the blasts tore off roofs, sent rocks flying and uprooted trees, affecting dozens of nearby homes.

In a report Friday, Justiniano said the first explosion involved "black powder, corresponding to pyrotechnic material stored at the site," while the cause of the second, larger explosion was being analyzed.

The second explosion "blew me five meters backward," a neighborhood resident with facial injuries told the newspaper El Deber, adding that he had lost consciousness.

President Rodrigo Paz on Friday expressed "deep solidarity with the families of the deceased, the injured and all residents affected by the explosions."

He said he had ordered a "thorough, technical and transparent" investigation.

"We must establish with absolute clarity the causes of this event, verify compliance with safety protocols and determine any responsibilities that may arise," he said in a post on X.

Authorities in Viacha declared three days of mourning, while the town's public prosecutor's office said Saturday it had opened an investigation into manslaughter and other crimes.