Between 10 and 15 people have been killed in Bolivia after an explosion at a military base, local health director Rita Nebraska told the Noticias Bolivision television station.

At least 58 people, mostly civilians, were injured in the explosion at the barracks in the western city of Viacha, Defence Minister Ernesto Justiniano said late on Friday.

The blast took place at around 2:30 pm (1830 GMT) in an area where fireworks were stored, the minister wrote on Facebook, adding that 52 of the wounded 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 said rescuers were tending to the injured and accompanying their families.

In an earlier statement the defence 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 kilometres southwest of Bolivia's administrative capital, La Paz, and has a population of around 100,000 people.