Srinagar— At least nine people were killed and 29 others injured after a massive accidental blast ripped through the Nowgam police station in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar district on Saturday, officials said. The explosion occurred while police personnel, including members of the forensic team, were handling and sampling explosive material that had been seized during a recent anti-terror operation.
According to official sources, the deceased include a Naib Tehsildar (Executive Magistrate) and a local tailor who was present inside the premises. Some of the victims’ bodies were reportedly completely burnt, delaying identification.
The injured were immediately rushed to the Army’s Base Hospital in Badami Bagh and other nearby medical facilities for urgent treatment.
Explosion Linked to White-Collar Terror Module Case
Officials confirmed that the explosive material which detonated had been recovered from Faridabad, where police recently busted a white-collar terror module. During the joint raid conducted by J&K Police and Haryana Police, over 2,900 kg of ammonium nitrate was seized.
In an earlier phase of the investigation, 300 kg of the explosive substance was recovered from the premises of Dr. Muzammil Ganaie, arrested along with Dr. Adil Rather, while a third accomplice, Dr. Umar Nabi, managed to flee. Umar Nabi was later killed in a car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, an explosion that also resulted in civilian casualties and injuries.
The crackdown further led to the arrest of Shaheen Shahid, a Lucknow-based doctor, after an assault rifle was recovered from her vehicle. Interrogation of two Over Ground Workers (OGWs) linked to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) played a key role in uncovering the module.
Impact of the Blast
The intensity of Saturday’s explosion was so powerful that windowpanes of nearby buildings shattered, and its sound was heard 5–10 kilometres away. Several vehicles parked within the police station compound caught fire, prompting an urgent response from fire tenders to control the blaze.
Ambulances and emergency teams swiftly reached the site to evacuate the wounded.
Top Police Brass Assesses Situation
J&K Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat, along with senior officials, visited the site to assess the situation firsthand. The area has since been cordoned off as forensic teams work to determine the precise sequence of events leading to the accidental detonation.
The incident marks one of the most serious accidental explosions in the region in recent years, raising concerns over the handling and storage of seized explosive materials. (Source: IANS)
