Two explosions tore through a Bolivian army barracks on the outskirts of La Paz on Friday afternoon, killing at least 10 people and injuring dozens more in a blast that shattered windows across the surrounding town and sent thick black smoke over the Altiplano.

The detonations struck the Mechanized Artillery Regiment 2 "Bolívar" in Viacha, a municipality about 30 kilometers from Bolivia's seat of government, at roughly 2:30 p.m. local time. According to Al Jazeera, the blasts originated in a facility used to store pyrotechnic material belonging to the defense ministry. Viacha's health director, Rita Nebraska, said officials believed between 10 and 15 people had died, while 62 people were injured — 14 of them transferred to hospitals in La Paz, including a young girl with third-degree burns.

Police said seven people remained unaccounted for as search efforts continued into the evening, and more than 50 nearby homes were damaged, mostly by shattered glass, according to a report from Business Recorder. Firefighters warned that a heat source remained active at the site, raising fears of further blasts, and urged residents to stay at least 150 meters away.

President orders investigation

President Rodrigo Paz wrote on social media that he felt "deepest solidarity with the families of the deceased, with those who were injured and with all neighbors affected by the explosions," and instructed authorities to carry out what he called a "thorough, technical and transparent" inquiry into the disaster.

"We must establish with absolute clarity the causes of this fact, verify compliance with safety protocols and determine the corresponding responsibilities," Paz said, according to Infobae.

Defense Minister Ernesto Justiniano said two "detonations of considerable significance" occurred, with the first appearing to involve black powder used in pyrotechnics that had been stored at the base. It remained unclear why the material was being kept there or whether safety protocols had been followed, and officials cautioned that casualty figures could still change as rescue crews worked through the rubble.

Bolivia's military has faced scrutiny in the past over aging and poorly secured ordnance depots, and the Viacha blast is likely to renew pressure on the defense ministry to account for how explosive stockpiles are handled near populated areas. For now, the priority remains locating the missing and treating the injured as the broader investigation gets under way, with updates expected from Bolivian authorities in the coming days.