The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said nine people were killed and 32 injured in what it described as a “massive” accidental explosion at the Nowgam police station in Srinagar late Friday night.Joint Secretary Prashant Lokhande said the blast occurred while forensic and chemical sampling was under way on a large quantity of explosives recovered during the probe into a terror module. The material had been stored in an open, designated area inside the police station premises.Lokhande said the explosives were “unstable and sensitive,” and the process of examination had been going on for two days due to the volume of material. "However, during the process, an accidental explosion took place at about 11.20 pm on the night of November 14. In
this unfortunate accidental incident, nine people have lost their lives where as 27 police personnel, two revenue officials and three civilians have received injuries," Lokhande said.He also urged the public not to speculate on the cause, adding that the police station and nearby buildings suffered significant damage.
VIDEO | Delhi: On the explosion at J&K’s Nowgam Police Station, Prashant Lokhande, Joint Secretary (J&K Division), MHA, says, “Yesterday, at around 11:20 pm, an unfortunate accidental explosion took place inside the Nowgam Police Station. During the investigation of a terror… pic.twitter.com/tDLyHN3SxE
J&K DGP: Blast Was Accidental, No Sabotage AngleJammu & Kashmir DGP Nalin Prabhat ruled out any sabotage behind the explosion, calling it an accidental blast that took place around 11.20 pm.He said the recovered explosives had been transported from Faridabad to Nowgam as part of the investigation into a “white-collar terror module.” According to Prabhat, one SIA official, three members of the FSL team, two crime photographers, two revenue officials and a tailor were among the nine killed.
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"As part of the prescribed procedure, the samples of the recovery had to be forwarded for further forensic and chemical examination. On account of the voluminous nature of the recovery, the FSL (forensic science laboratory) team has been carrying out this process for the last two days," Prabhat told reporters here."Unfortunately during this course, around 11.20 pm last night, an accidental explosion took place. Any other speculation into the cause of this incident is unnecessary," he added.Twenty-seven police personnel, two revenue officials and three civilians were injured. All were evacuated to nearby hospitals."The injured were immediately evacuated to the nearest hospital, where they are being treated. The police station building has been severely damaged, and even the adjacent buildings have been affected," he said.Explosives Were Transported From Faridabad to KashmirInvestigators confirmed that the explosives involved in the Nowgam blast had been transported from Faridabad in a Tata 407 pickup truck in small bags.The material had been seized during raids on November 9 and 10 linked to the terror module believed to be behind the Red Fort blast that killed 13 people earlier this week.Officials said the explosives were brought to Nowgam because the original case was registered there, making the police station the designated custodian of the recovered materials.
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L-G Manoj Sinha Pays Floral TributesMeanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha paid floral tributes to those killed in the blast at the Police Control Room in Srinagar.Senior officials, including Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, NIA Director General Sadanand Date, DGP Prabhat and senior Army and civil officers, also attended.Sinha later visited hospitals to meet the injured and review medical arrangements.Kharge Calls Blast a Wake-Up Call for CentreMeanwhile, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Nowgam explosion should serve as a wake-up call for the central government to strengthen intelligence and anti-terror systems.In a post on X, Kharge said the government “cannot run away from accountability,” especially as the blast occurred days after the Red Fort car explosion.He also demanded an all-party meeting to discuss what he described as the “growing threat” of terrorism aided by external forces.Rahul Gandhi expressed condolences and wished the injured a quick recovery, calling the incident “heartbreaking and concerning.”
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