Nowgam Police Station Blast Was Accidental, Says Home Ministry
Srinagar: A powerful explosion tore through the Nowgam police station in Srinagar on Friday morning, killing nine people and injuring 29 others, in one of the deadliest accidental blasts to hit Jammu & Kashmir’s security establishment in recent years.
According to officials, the blast occurred when a confiscated explosive, believed to be ammonium nitrate, detonated inside the station’s storage area. The material had recently been transported from Faridabad after being seized during a joint operation by J&K and Haryana police that busted a major Red Fort-linked terror module.
Explosion occurs at Jammu and Kashmir’s Nowgam police station handling explosives recovered from Faridabad.
At least nine people killed, 24 injured.@JyotsnaKumar13 speaks to @idrees_lone for more. pic.twitter.com/03NeYSiqnM
— WION (@WIONews) November 15, 2025
Policemen, Forensic Team Among the Dead
Authorities confirmed that most of the victims were police personnel and members of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team who were examining the seized material. A Naib Tehsildar and a local tailor who happened to be at the station were also among those killed. Several of the injured remain in critical condition as rescue teams continue to sift through debris.
The force of the explosion was so intense that body parts were found scattered as far as 100–200 metres away, even landing in nearby residential compounds.
Police Station Already Under Spotlight
The Nowgam police station has been at the centre of a major counterterror investigation in recent weeks. The unit had cracked a case involving Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) posters that appeared across the Nowgam area, threatening large-scale attacks on security forces and non-locals.
That probe had unearthed a network of radicalised professionals and medical students, leading to the arrest of several suspects from what has been dubbed the “terror doctors” module. The explosives stored inside the police station were part of evidence gathered during that multi-state investigation.
Nowgam Police Station blast was ‘accidental’: Home Ministry
The Union Home Ministry on Saturday confirmed that the devastating late-night explosion at Srinagar’s Nowgam Police Station—which claimed nine lives and injured 32 others—was an accidental blast triggered during the handling of seized explosive materials.
Prashant Lokhande, Joint Secretary (J&K Division), Ministry of Home Affairs, said the tragedy unfolded around 11:20 pm on Friday, when explosives recovered during an ongoing terror module investigation detonated unexpectedly.
VIDEO | Delhi: On the explosion at J&K’s Nowgam Police Station, Prashant Lokhande, Joint Secretary (J&K Division), MHA, says, “Yesterday, at around 11:20 pm, an unfortunate accidental explosion took place inside the Nowgam Police Station. During the investigation of a terror… pic.twitter.com/tDLyHN3SxE
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 15, 2025
According to officials, a large quantity of explosive substances and chemicals, earlier seized by security forces, had been stored in an open yet secured area of the police station. The material was being processed for forensic examination as per standard protocol.
“Due to the unstable and highly sensitive nature of the material, it was being handled with extreme caution,” Lokhande said. “However, during the procedure, an accidental explosion took place. Nine individuals lost their lives, while 27 police personnel, two revenue officers, and three civilians were injured. All were immediately shifted for treatment.”
The blast caused severe structural damage to the police station building and also impacted several nearby structures.
Lokhande said a detailed investigation is underway to determine what triggered the accident, urging the public to avoid speculation. He added that the government stands firmly with the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic incident.
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