The Union Home Ministry on Saturday confirmed that the powerful explosion inside the Nowgam Police Station in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, was an accidental blast that occurred while forensic teams were collecting samples of explosive material linked to the Faridabad terror module involved in the recent Red Fort blast case.
The explosion, which took place at around 11:20 pm on Friday, left nine people dead, 27 police personnel injured, along with two revenue officials and three civilians hurt. The police station building was completely destroyed, and neighbouring structures also suffered severe damage.
According to officials, the explosives being examined were part of a large cache recovered from a Faridabad-based module of doctors connected to the Red Fort car blast investigation. The material had been transported to Srinagar and stored securely in an open designated area inside the Nowgam Police Station.
‘Handled With Caution, Yet an Accident,’ Says MHA
Addressing the media, Prashant Lokhande, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, explained that the sampling procedure had been ongoing for the past two days.
He said the Nowgam Police had cracked a terror module based on leads from a poster, leading to the recovery of a “huge volume of explosive substances and chemicals.”
Lokhande added:
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The material was stored securely and handled under expert supervision.
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All agencies involved were working in a coordinated and scientific manner.
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Due to the unstable nature of the recovered chemicals, an accidental explosion took place during sampling.
Appeal Against Speculation
The Home Ministry urged the public and media to avoid speculation, stating that the exact cause of the accidental detonation is under investigation.
Security agencies and forensic teams remain at the site, assessing damage and continuing the sampling and evidence-collection process.
