SRINAGAR/NEW DELHI – A massive explosion ripped through the Nowgam Police Station on the outskirts of Srinagar late Friday night, claiming the lives of nine people and leaving 32 others injured. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Jammu and Kashmir Police have both ruled out a terror angle, terming the tragedy an “unfortunate accidental incident.”

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The explosion occurred while a specialized team was reportedly handling a large cache of highly volatile explosives recently seized in connection with a major inter-state terror module investigation.

Explosion During Forensic Sampling

 

J&K Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat confirmed in a press conference that the blast took place around 11:20 PM on Friday during the sampling process.

“The explosion occurred while authorities were extracting samples from a cache of explosive substances and chemicals recovered from Faridabad, Haryana, in connection with the investigation into a ‘white-collar’ terror module case,” DGP Prabhat stated.

The explosives were part of a massive 360 kg cache of chemicals, including suspected ammonium nitrate, recovered from a rented residence of one of the arrested accused. The material, described as having an “unstable and sensitive nature,” was being stored securely in an open area of the police station.

“Due to the unstable and sensitive nature of the recovery, the sampling process and the handling was being done with utmost caution by the FSL team. However, unfortunately, during this course, an accidental explosion took place,” the DGP added, urging the public to refrain from “unnecessary speculation.”

MHA Confirms Cause, Orders Probe

 

Prashant Lokhande, Joint Secretary in the MHA’s J&K Division, corroborated the police statement.

“In this unfortunate accidental incident, nine people have lost their lives whereas 27 police personnel, two revenue officials, and three civilians have received injuries,” Lokhande said. He added that the entire process of segregating and preparing the samples for forensic examination had been ongoing for two days due to the sheer volume of the seized material.

The Ministry emphasized that while the terror angle is ruled out, the exact cause of the accidental detonation is under investigation.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has also ordered a magisterial probe into the incident to ascertain the factors that led to the accidental explosion.

Casualties and Damage

 

The explosion caused severe damage to the Nowgam police station building, and the impact shattered windows and damaged several adjacent structures in the residential colony.

The nine deceased included personnel from multiple agencies involved in the investigation:

• Three personnel from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL)

• One official from the State Investigation Agency (SIA)

• Two Crime Photographers

• Two Revenue Officials (part of the magistrate’s team)

• One tailor associated with the team

The 32 injured—comprising police personnel, revenue officials, and civilians from nearby areas—were immediately rushed to various hospitals in Srinagar.