Multiple People Were Killed and Dozens Injured in an Explosion at a Military Compound in Bolivia, According to Local Authorities

The blast occurred at a facility in the center of Viacha, a town southwest of La Paz, and images in Bolivian media showed a fireball rising from the buildings into the sky. In the initial phase, authorities reported that two people had died, seven were missing, and more than 80 were injured. A local health official told television that 10 to 15 people are feared dead, reported.

The explosion is believed to have happened in or near a storage area containing some form of explosives or fireworks. Police have cordoned off the residential blocks around the compound. The mayor of Viacha has declared three days of mourning in the town, according to the newspaper La Razón. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.