LA PAZ, April 3 (Xinhua) -- At least six people were killed on Thursday due to a confrontation between members of mining cooperatives in Bolivia's western department of La Paz, local authorities said.
The conflict began early Thursday in the community of Yani of the Sorata municipality, after members of the Senor de Mayo cooperative attacked members of another cooperative, Hijos del Ingenio, with explosives, which unleashed a series of violent acts.
Gunther Agudo, commander of the La Paz Police, told local media that an explosion occurred during the confrontation.
Jhonny Silva, legal advisor of the Hijos de Ingenio cooperative, told Bolivia TV that the "criminal attack" caused the death of six members of the organization.
"They have blown up machinery using dynamite. There was a diesel tank there in the mining camp that exploded and there are still people missing," Silva said.
At least six people were reported missing, according to local media reports.
The Senor de Mayo cooperative has been identified as a generator of conflicts in the region due to disputes over territorial mining control, according to local authorities.
