The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has confirmed that the massive explosion inside Nowgam Police Station in Srinagar late on Thursday night was an accidental blast that occurred while officials were handling explosive material recovered from a recently busted terror module.
Addressing the media, Prashant Lokhande, Joint Secretary (J&K Division), MHA, detailed the sequence of events and urged the public to avoid speculation as the probe continues.
What happened at Nowgam Police Station?
According to Lokhande, the explosion occurred at 11:20 PM on November 14, during the processing of a huge cache of explosives and chemicals seized in connection with FIR 162/2025, linked to a white-collar terror module operating in the region.
The recovered explosives — stored in an open secured area of the police station — were being examined and sampled as per standard operating procedures.
For the past two days, forensic and police teams had been working continuously, following all SOPs, due to the voluminous, unstable and highly sensitive nature of the materials recovered.
Despite precautions and expert supervision, an accidental detonation took place.
Casualties and damage
The explosion caused massive destruction inside the premises and resulted in:
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9 deaths, including officials from the
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Forensic Science Laboratory
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Revenue Department (including a Naib Tehsildar)
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State Investigation Agency (SIA)
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Police photographers
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A local tailor present at the site
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32 injured, including
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27 police personnel
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2 revenue officials
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3 civilians
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All injured individuals were immediately rushed for medical treatment.
‘No room for speculation’ — MHA
The Joint Secretary stressed that while the cause of the accidental explosion is under investigation, any speculation beyond this is unwarranted and irresponsible.
“The government stands in solidarity with the families of the deceased,” Lokhande said, assuring continued support and coordinated investigation by all involved agencies.
The incident has prompted high-level reviews within the security apparatus, as teams from J&K Police, central agencies, and forensic units continue to examine the site.
More updates are expected as both J&K DGP Nalin Prabhat and the MHA are scheduled to address detailed briefings later today.