Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Saturday clarified that the blast at the Nowgam Police Stationon the outskirts of Srinagar, which killed nine people and injured several others, was an accidental explosion and not a terror attack.
MHA’s Statement On The Incident
Addressing a press briefing, Prashant Lokhande, Joint Secretary (J&K Division) of the MHA, said, “At around 11:20 pm yesterday, an unfortunate accidental explosion took place inside the Nowgam Police Station. During the investigation of a terror module, a large cache of explosive substances and chemicals had been recovered and was being kept securely in an open area of the police station.”
He added, “As part of the standard procedure, these materials were being processed and forwarded for forensic examination. However, due to their unstable and sensitive nature, an accidental explosion occurred during handling.” Lokhande confirmed that nine people died, while 27 police personnel, two revenue officials, and three civilianssustained injuries. The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment, and the police station building suffered severe structural damage, along with nearby buildings.
J&K Police Confirms Accidental Explosion
Jammu and Kashmir DGP Nalin Prabhat also termed the explosion as “accidental.” He explained that the explosives had been seized earlier during the investigation into a white-collar terror module linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)and had been transported from Faridabad, Haryana, to Srinagar. The blast reportedly occurred while joint police and forensic teams were examining the materials, which were part of a 2,900 kg cache of chemicals recovered from a detained doctor in connection with the November 10 Delhi car blast.
Connection To Delhi Blast Probe
According to officials, the Nowgam explosion was linked to the ongoing investigation into the Delhi Red Fort car blast. The same terror module had been under scrutiny since objectionable posters were found in Nowgam in October, prompting an FIR on October 19. Subsequent arrests were made in Shopian, Ganderbal, and Saharanpur, leading to the recovery of an AK-56 rifle, explosives, and chemicals from Anantnag Hospital and Faridabad.
The probe later revealed the involvement of Dr Muzammil of Al-Falah Medical College, who was arrested following the recovery of additional explosives and weapons. Security forces have since cordoned off the Nowgam area, and forensic teams with sniffer dogs are continuing investigations into the sequence of the accidental detonation.
