Firdous Ahmad
Srinagar, Nov 15: Director General of Police (DGP) J&K, Nalin Prabhat, on Friday said that nine people were killed and over 30 injured in last night’s accidental explosion at Police Station Nowgam, where a large quantity of explosives seized in a recent case was being sampled for forensic examination.
Addressing an important press conference in Srinagar, the DGP said the blast occurred around 11:20 pm on Thursday during the ongoing sampling of explosive substances, chemicals and reagents recovered earlier this month in a major seizure linked to FIR No. 162/2025 of Police Station Nowgam.
He said the consignment — recovered on November 9 and 10 from Faridabad — had been transported and securely stored in the open area of the police station as per procedure. “Given the voluminous nature of the recovery, the sampling process by the FSL team had been going on for the past two days,” Prabhat said.
He stressed that the material was “highly unstable and sensitive,” and the forensic team had been handling it with “extreme and utmost caution.” Despite these precautions, he said, an accidental explosion occurred during the process.
“Any other speculation into the cause of this incident is unnecessary,” the DGP added.
Providing the casualty details, Prabhat said nine personnel lost their lives, including one official of the State Investigation Agency (SIA), three members of the FSL team, two crime photographers, two revenue officials who were part of the magistrate’s team, and a tailor associated with the officials.
He said 27 police personnel, two revenue officials and three civilians from nearby residential areas sustained injuries. All the injured were immediately evacuated to the hospital and are undergoing treatment.
The blast severely damaged the police station building and also affected several adjacent structures. “The extent of the damage is being ascertained,” he said, adding that a formal inquiry has been initiated to establish the precise cause of the accident.
Expressing deep grief, the DGP said: “J&K Police stands in solidarity with the families of the deceased in this hour of grief.”
“Thank you very much. Jai Hind,” he concluded.
