Srinagar: Nine people died in a blast at the Nowgam police station in Srinagar after a cache of seized explosives detonated during a forensic examination. Nearly 30 others were injured. Police officers and forensic experts were working inside the station when the stockpile exploded late on Friday night. Two senior officials from the Srinagar administration were also among the dead.
A source involved in the response said some bodies were burned beyond recognition. Body parts were recovered from houses up to 200 metres away. The force of the explosion destroyed parts of the police station and damaged nearby buildings. Officials said five injured persons remain in critical condition.
Police stated that the incident was not an attack. They said the blast took place during the inspection of explosive material stored for an ongoing investigation. The material had been seized as part of a wider crackdown following the recent car blast in New Delhi, which killed 12 people near the Red Fort.
Authorities in Kashmir have detained more than 650 people since the Delhi incident. Investigators linked those suspects to Jaish e Muhammad and Ansar Ghazwat ul Hind. Officers said the Nowgam police station had been leading inquiries into posters issued by Jaish e Muhammad that threatened attacks on security forces and migrant workers.
Police said their investigation had uncovered a network of radicalised professionals and students in contact with handlers abroad. They also reported the recovery of nearly 3,000 kilograms of explosive material linked to the group. Officials said the stockpile indicated plans for a large attack.
