"Speculation Unnecessary": J&K Top Cop Says Blast In Nowgam "Accidental"

The Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP), Nalin Prabhat, stressed on Saturday that any speculation about the incident was unnecessary, as preliminary findings pointed to an inadvertent blast during a mandated forensic procedure.

An accidental explosion inside the Nowgam Police Station late Friday night left nine personnel dead and 32 others injured and caused extensive damage to the nearby building. The injured were admitted to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital (SMHS) in Srinagar for further treatment.

The DGP informed that nine individuals who lost their lives included one officer from the State Investigation Agency (SIA), three FSL personnel, two crime-scene photographers, two revenue officials who were assisting the Magistrate's team, and a tailor associated with the operation.

Addressing the media, JK DGP said, "Nine people have lost their lives in this incident. 1 personnel of SIA, 3 personnel of the FSL team, two crime scene photographers, two revenue officials who were part of the Magistrate's team, and one tailor who was associated with the team. In addition, 27 police personnel, two revenue officials and 3 civilians from the adjacent areas have received injuries, who were immediately evacuated to the nearest hospital."

"However, unfortunately, during this course, last night around 11.20 PM, an accidental explosion took place. Any other speculation into the cause of this incident is unnecessary," he added.

The DGP said the blast occurred during the ongoing investigation under FIR 162 of 2025, linked to a major seizure of explosive materials, chemicals, and reagents recovered from Faridabad on November 9 and 10.

He noted that the seized material had been securely stored in an open area of the Nowgam Police Station in accordance with procedural norms.

"During the investigation in FIR 162 of 2025 of PS Nowgam, a huge quantity of explosive substances, chemicals and reagents were also recovered from Faridabad on the 9th and 10th of November, 2025. This recovery, like the rest of the recoveries which we have done, was transported and kept securely in the open area of the Police Station Nowgam." J&K DGP

Prabhat explained that due to the "voluminous nature" of the recovery, the forensic sampling process had been underway for the past two days.

A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) was engaged in handling the substances with extreme caution, given their unstable configuration.

"As part of the prescribed procedure, the samples of the recovery had to be forwarded for further forensic and chemical examination. On account of the voluminous nature of the recovery, this process was going on for the past 2 days, which means yesterday and the day before, by the FSL team. Due to the unstable and sensitive nature of the recovery, the sampling process and handling was being done with utmost caution by the FSL team," JK DGP said.

Prabhat added that the police station structure suffered "very severe damage", with adjoining buildings also impacted by the blast. A detailed assessment of the structural losses is currently underway.

Reiterating that the explosion was accidental, the DGP said that a formal inquiry has been launched to investigate all technical aspects surrounding the incident.
"J&K Police stands in solidarity with the families of the deceased in this hour of grief," he said, assuring support to the bereaved families and the injured.

Earlier on Friday, an accidental explosion occurred near the premises of Nowgam police station in Jammu and Kashmir, leaving nine personnel dead and 32 others injured and causing extensive damage to the building.

Soon after the explosion, Inspector General (IG) of the CRPF Pawan Kumar Sharma rushed to the site to oversee relief operations and assess the security measures.
Further, security personnel cordoned off the area around the police station to ensure safety, while officials remained on the spot to implement all precautionary protocols.

Earlier in the day, the Director General of Police (DGP), Nalin Prabhat, also visited the site and left after assessing the situation. Investigations into the cause of the explosion are currently underway.

However, a team from FSL and SDRF was at the scene to investigate the blast incident. Authorities have urged the public to avoid the area and cooperate with security forces as inquiry operations continue.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)