Nine policemen hurt in Srinagar police station explosion; terror link ruled out
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Srinagar: A powerful accidental explosion ripped through the Nowgam police station in Srinagar district on Saturday, leaving nine police personnel injured and triggering panic across the area.
The blast occurred during the sampling of ammonium nitrate recovered from a recently busted interstate terror module in Faridabad. The intensity of the explosion shook nearby buildings, shattered windowpanes and was heard up to 10 kilometres away.
Officials stressed that the incident was not a terror attack but an accidental detonation while the seized material was being examined. Several vehicles parked inside the premises caught fire, prompting fire tenders to rush in as ambulances moved the injured officers to hospital.
The ammonium nitrate, weighing 2,900 kg, had been seized earlier this month in a joint operation by J&K Police and Haryana Police targeting a white-collar terror module. The investigation had led to the arrest of Dr Adil Rather and Dr Muzammil Ganaie, while another accused, Dr Umar Nabi, was killed in a car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, an incident that claimed several civilian lives. In a related development, Shaheen Shahid, a doctor from Lucknow, was arrested after an assault rifle was recovered from her vehicle. The arrests of two overground workers of the Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit had paved the way for the module’s exposure.
Adding further details, J&K DGP Nalin Prabhat said the Nowgam blast was “accidental”, caused by the “unstable and sensitive nature” of the explosive substances, chemicals and reagents recovered from Faridabad on November 9 and 10.
He explained that the material had been stored securely in the open area of the police station and that the sampling process, being carried out by the FSL team as per procedure, had been under way for two days due to the sheer volume of the recovery. “However, unfortunately, during this course, last night, around 11.20 PM, an accidental explosion took place,” he said, urging the public not to speculate about the incident.
He confirmed that nine people died, one member of the SIA, three personnel of the FSL team, two crime scene photographers, two revenue officials attached to the Magistrate’s team, and one tailor associated with the operation. “In addition, 27 police personnel, 2 revenue officials and 3 civilians from the adjacent areas have received injuries, who were immediately evacuated to the nearest hospital,” he added.
The police station suffered extensive damage, and nearby buildings were also affected. A team from the FSL reached the spot on Saturday as security was tightened and mine-detection measures were put in place. Authorities are continuing to assess the full extent of the damage.