AT LEAST 10 DEAD IN MILITARY BASE BLAST

LA PAZ, SEPTEMBER 5 /SRNA/ — At least 10 people have been killed and more than 60 injured in an explosion at a military barracks in the Bolivian municipality of Viacha, about 30 kilometers from La Paz, local authorities stated.

The explosion occurred at around 2:30 p.m. local time in an area used to store pyrotechnic material, according to a statement.

The official cause of the blast has not yet been established. Officials said the pyrotechnic material belonged to the Defense Ministry.

Viacha health director Rita Nebraska told local television that 62 people were injured.

Fourteen of the injured were transferred to hospitals in La Paz, including a girl who suffered third-degree burns, she said.

Firefighters warned that a heat source remained at the scene, increasing the risk of another explosion. Residents were urged to remain at least 150 meters away from the military complex.