This picture released by APG Noticias shows police officers standing near an ambulance at the site of an explosion at an army barracks in Viacha, Bolivia, on September 4, 2026. (Photo by APG NOTICIAS / AFP)
La Paz: At least 58 people, mostly civilians, were injured in an explosion Friday at an army barracks in the western Bolivian city of Viacha, Defense Minister Ernesto Justiniano said.
The blast took place at around 2:30pm (1830 GMT) in an area where fireworks were stored, the minister wrote on Facebook, adding that 52 of the injured were civilians and the rest were military personnel.
Video of the blast shared on social media showed a column of thick black smoke billowing from the barracks, which is in the city center.
Justiniano cited preliminary reports of possible fatalities but said he could not yet confirm a death toll.
He said rescuers were tending to the injured and accompanying their families.
In an earlier statement the defense ministry reported infrastructure damage but said no one had been injured.
An investigation has been launched into the cause of the explosion.
Viacha is situated about 30 kilometers (19 miles) southwest of Bolivia's administrative capital, La Paz, and has a population of around 100,000 people.
