Sept 7 (Reuters) – Bolivian authorities on Monday confirmed that nine people have died after an explosion on Friday at a military barracks in the Bolivian municipality of Viacha, about 30 km (20 miles) from La Paz.
• The Defense Ministry said a ninth body was found in the rubble on Monday afternoon and transferred to the morgue for identification.
• Army Commander Hector Alarcón said in a statement that a worse tragedy was avoided because many personnel from the Bolivar Regiment were away participating in a recreational bicycle ride when the explosion happened.
• The statement did not address how many people were still missing.
• “Our priority remains finding our comrades who are still missing and providing answers to their families as soon as possible,” Alarcón said in a press conference earlier on Monday.
• On Monday morning, health minister Marcela Flores said 84 patients have been treated since the blast on Friday, and 31 people remain hospitalized.
• President Rodrigo Paz said the cause of the blast was under investigation, but appeared to have been an accident caused by the improper handling of explosives stored at the military facility.
• “Our Armed Forces are reviewing their protocols and everything needed to provide greater safety, not only for enlisted personnel and officers, but also for nearby residents living close to military bases,” Paz said.
• He also announced a period of national mourning and urged people not to politicize the tragedy.
• The blast occurred at around 2:30 p.m. (1830 GMT) on Friday in an area used to store pyrotechnic material, authorities said.
(Reporting by Daniel Ramos and Monica Machicao; Additional reporting by Natalia Siniawski; Writing by Daina Beth Solomon)
