Belize: 25-year-old welder killed in explosion at San Jose Palmer Village; Police investigate possible military bomb

Belize: A tragic accident killed a 25-year old welder in San Jose Palmer Village, Orange Walk District on Sunday afternoon, October 5, 2025. The victim has been identified as Jose Valencia, who died after a powerful explosion shook the area and nearby homes within a one mile radius at around 4:00 pm.

As per the police reports, Valencia was welding metal hooks to what was believed to be an inert training bomb at the residence of a former PUP area representative, Dave Burgos, when it somehow detonated. Burgos told the authorities that the device was meant to be used as a decorative piece and should not be a working bomb.

The blast was so powerful that it shattered windows and caused great damage to the structure. Valencia died instantly from the blast. Emergency services and police showed up immediately at the scene, where they found two other similar devices which were also secured and later removed by the Belize Defence Force (BDF) Bomb Squad.

Police Investigations

According to authorities from the Belize Police Department and the BDF, the bomb might be an old military device which may have been left over from past training exercises. They confirmed that an in-depth investigation has been launched to determine how it stayed active after so long and ended up in civilian hands.

Residents in that area reported the explosion as terrifying and very loud, which felt like an earthquake. Many people rushed outside into the street thinking that a disaster had struck the community. Moreover, locals are expressing their anger toward Burgos for being irresponsible.

“That PUP idiot need to be charged for the death. He should have known better than to tell someone to weld on a bomb without first getting the bomb checked by a bomb expert,” said one of the netizens on social media.

The police and BDF are urging the public to report any suspected military or explosive device to the authorities right away and to never handle them. Investigations are ongoing as officials try to determine the origin of the bomb and to ensure that no other such devices are present in the area.