VIACHA, Bolivia, Sept 5, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - An explosion at an army barracks in Bolivia on Friday killed at least two people and injured 59, police said.

Fireworks were stored at the base in Viacha, southwest of Bolivia's administrative capital La Paz, but the exact cause of the blast is under investigation, police spokesman Roger Roca said.

Seven people are missing, he added.

The explosion at the base in the city center shattered windows in homes and sent debris flying, as a thick column of black smoke rose into the sky, footage on social media showed.

Firefighters rushed to the base following the blast, which Defense Minister Ernesto Justiniano said happened at around 2:30 pm (1830 GMT) in an area where fireworks were stored.