A devastating accidental blast ripped through Srinagar’s Nowgam Police Station late on November 14, 2025, killing at least nine people and injuring 32 others, including police personnel, forensic experts, and civilians. The explosion occurred around 11:20 p.m. while authorities were sampling a massive cache of unstable explosives seized from a Faridabad-based “white-collar” terror module linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The station, where the primary FIR was registered, reduced to rubble, with flames gutting vehicles and debris scattering up to 300 feet.
CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts captured the inferno, with thick smoke billowing as rescuers combed rubble for trapped individuals. The toll may rise, as several injured remain critical at Srinagar hospitals, and some are still missing.
Accidental Detonation During Sensitive Probe: DGP Dismisses Terror Claims
J&K Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat confirmed the blast as accidental during a press briefing, dismissing speculation of sabotage: “A huge quantity of explosive substances and chemicals were recovered from Faridabad. We transported them to PS Nowgam with utmost caution. However, last night an accidental explosion occurred. Any other speculation is unnecessary.” Joint Secretary (MHA J&K Division) Prashant Lokhande echoed: “The unstable materials detonated during SOP-compliant forensic sampling. A scientific investigation is underway.”
The 350 kg cache—ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate, sulphur, and more—was stored in an open, secured area at the station for the FIR 162/2025 probe. Some samples were at the Forensic Science Laboratory, but the bulk remained on-site. The module, involving JeM and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, was uncovered after mid-October threat posters in Nowgam led to arrests, including doctors from Al-Falah University in Faridabad. Though PAFF (a JeM shadow group) claimed responsibility, officials ruled it out.
Victims include 1 SIA officer, 3 FSL experts, 2 photographers, 2 revenue officials, and 1 tailor among the dead; 27 police, 2 officials, and 3 civilians injured.
Rescue Efforts and Security Boost: Probe Deepens Amid Regional Tensions
Security forces sealed the site, deploying sniffer dogs and bomb squads for secondary blasts. Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Akshay Labroo visited hospitals, where the injured—many with burns—received care. Bodies were shifted to Police Control Room for identification.
The blast, days after Delhi’s Red Fort car bombing (13 dead), raises sabotage fears, but officials link it solely to mishandling. MHA vowed support for families, with a multi-agency probe underway. On X, users mourned the “police heroes” and called for better protocols.
