The incident occurred at the headquarters of the Tomás Frías Autonomous University, while the students debated in an assembly the organization of the next elections of the Local University Federation (FUL), and the four fatal victims are women, according to the state news agency ABI. .
“The number of injured in the city of Potosí exceeds 60 people, unfortunately some people launched tear gas causing the students to leave in an untimely manner, causing the death of four students,” said the Minister of Government, Eduardo del Castle.
Later, the Police affirmed in a statement that “the investigations carried out with priority allowed in a short time to identify one of the probable authors of the act (identified by the initials) CAMM, a student of this house of studies”, who was “intervened” (arrested).
The first official report, this afternoon, had computed three dead and more than 40 wounded.
“A suspect has been fully identified who would have been the person who would have thrown the chemical substances at the scene,” Del Castillo said at a press conference, according to the state news agency ABI.
President Luis Arce expressed in his social media accounts his “regret for the loss of life and dozens of injuries in the serious incident that caused a human avalanche during a student assembly at the Tomás Frías Autonomous University.”
Earlier, the rector of that house of studies, Pedro López, said at a press conference that “all the steps were being taken to identify (the bodies), to be able to give the names of the deceased”, and said that it was “such a difficult time” to “be able to express and coordinate some things”.
López condemned the actions of those who caused the incident and stated that the Police will be helped to identify them and punish them “rigorously.”
According to López, the possibility was being considered that the perpetrator of the incident was an “infiltrator” who was seeking to “bog down” the election, but as of this afternoon there was no official confirmation, according to the newspaper Pagina Siete from La Paz.
The police, meanwhile, stated that the investigation was advanced.
“We are taking all precautions so that those responsible for this criminal act are apprehended and placed at the disposal of the Public Ministry,” said Bernardo Isnado, departmental commander of the Police.
Until this noon, more than 40 university students affected by the avalanche received medical care at the Bracamonte Hospital and the University Insurance Hospital.
