SRINAGAR, India (BN24)— A late-night explosion caused by the accidental detonation of seized explosives ripped through a police station in Indian-administered Kashmir on Friday, killing nine people and injuring 32 others, authorities said, in one of the region’s deadliest non-combat blasts in recent years.
The explosion occurred at 11:20 p.m. at the Nowgam police station in Srinagar, where officers had been handling a stockpile of explosives seized earlier in the week from Faridabad in the northern Indian state of Haryana. Police officials said the materials were being prepared for transfer to forensic experts when a mishap triggered the blast.
Nalin Prabhat, the region’s director general of police, described the event as “very unfortunate,” stressing that it occurred during routine procedures. He said the explosion unfolded abruptly, leaving officers with no opportunity to intervene. Authorities emphasized that the detonation was accidental and unrelated to terrorism. “Any other speculation into the cause of this incident is unnecessary,” Prabhat told journalists.
The blast sent a shockwave through the police compound, leveling parts of the station and inflicting heavy damage on adjoining structures. According to police, the force of the explosion engulfed several vehicles, leaving them charred and mangled. Debris was scattered widely, and fragments from the detonation reached residential areas surrounding the complex.
A source speaking to Reuters said the blast was so powerful that body parts were found in homes located 100 to 200 meters from the station. Most of the victims were police personnel who had been working inside or around the structure at the time. Among the dead were forensic specialists and two crime-scene photographers tasked with processing the seized material. A tailor accompanying the forensic team also died in the explosion.
Medical teams and emergency responders arrived quickly, moving the injured to hospitals across Srinagar as officers cordoned off the site and began preliminary assessments. The police station was left with extensive structural damage that officials said will require a full technical evaluation.
Manoj Sinha, the region’s lieutenant governor appointed by the federal government, expressed deep sorrow over the fatalities and injuries. In a statement posted on social media, he extended condolences to grieving families. He announced that a formal probe had been ordered to determine the precise circumstances leading to the accidental detonation. “Deeply anguished by the loss of precious lives due to an extremely tragic accidental blast at Nowgam police station in Srinagar,” he wrote. “I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.”
The incident occurred days after a car explosion in Delhi killed several people, an event the government labeled a terrorist attack. Officials in Kashmir, however, underscored that Friday’s blast bore no connection to terrorism and resulted solely from a mishandling of confiscated explosives.
