Nine people were killed and 32 others injured in a massive accidental explosion at the Nowgam Police Station in Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Saturday.
Officials said the blast occurred while a large seizure of explosive materials—recovered during the probe of a terror module—was being processed for forensic examination under prescribed procedures.
In a detailed briefing, Prashant Lokhande, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, said the explosion took place late on November 14 during routine handling of the seized materials, which were “unstable and sensitive” in nature.
Lokhande said a huge quantity of explosive substances and chemicals had been recovered during the investigation and stored in an open, secured area of the police station premises on the outskirts of Srinagar. The stockpile was being examined and forwarded for further scientific analysis.
Prashant Lokhande said, “Yesterday, at around 11:20 pm, an unfortunate accidental explosion took place inside the Nowgam Police Station. During the investigation of a terror module, a huge cache of explosive substances and chemicals had been recovered and kept securely in an open area of the police station.”
“As part of the standard procedure, these materials were being processed and forwarded for forensic examination. Due to their unstable and sensitive nature, they were being handled with utmost care. However, during the process, an accidental explosion occurred. In this incident, nine people lost their lives, while 27 police personnel, two revenue officials, and three civilians sustained injuries. The injured were immediately rushed for medical care. The police station building suffered severe damage, along with some surrounding structures. The cause of the accident is being investigated, and any other speculation is unnecessary. The government stands in solidarity with the families of the deceased in this hour of grief,” he added.
Providing further background, Lokhande said the materials had been seized during the investigation of FIR 162 of 2025 related to the terror module.