Confiscated Explosives Kill Nine at Police Station in Indian-

Confiscated Explosives Kill Nine at Police Station in Indian-Controlled Kashmir

London, UK – November 16, 2025

A devastating and massive deadly detonation ripped through a police station on the outskirts of Srinagar, Indian-Controlled Kashmir, late Friday night, claiming the lives of at least nine people and severely injuring dozens more. 

The explosion, which authorities have officially categorized as a horrific accident, occurred when police and forensic officials were handling a substantial cache of confiscated explosives linked to a recently dismantled terror module. 

The catastrophic blast at the Nowgam police station highlights the extreme, inherent danger faced by investigative personnel in the region and has raised serious questions about the storage and handling protocols for seized terrorist materials.

The incident occurred at approximately 11:20 PM local time (IST) while a specialized team, including members of the State Investigation Agency (SIA) and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), was in the process of extracting samples from the seized materials. 

According to statements from the Director-General of Police for the region, Nalin Prabhat, the blast was an “unfortunate accidental incident” triggered by the “unstable and sensitive nature” of the chemicals being examined. 

The majority of the casualties were highly specialized personnel, including three members of the FSL, an inspector from the SIA, two police photographers, two officials from the Revenue Department, and a local tailor who was nearby.

The Explosives and the Terror Module Link

The explosive material was a portion of a massive haul—reported to be over 360 kilograms of suspected ammonium nitrate and an additional 2,900 kilograms of bomb-making materials—recently recovered from Faridabad in the northern Indian state of Haryana. 

This recovery was central to the investigation of a suspected “white-collar terror module” allegedly linked to the proscribed militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind. 

The investigation had rapidly expanded from Srinagar following the appearance of threatening posters in the region, leading to the arrest of several key individuals, including two medical doctors.

The explosives were being stored at the Nowgam police station because the primary case was registered there, underscoring the vital, yet perilous, role the station played in the complex inter-state terror probe. 

The highly sensitive materials were being processed in an open area of the station premises, under expert supervision, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). 

Despite these precautions, the sheer volume and chemical instability of the substances, which authorities believe may have included ammonium nitrate, led to the spontaneous, devastating explosion. 

Eyewitnesses reported hearing the blast across much of Srinagar, and nearby residents captured video of the subsequent fire and thick smoke that engulfed the area.

The Aftermath and Official Response

The intensity of the detonation caused severe structural damage to the Nowgam police station building itself, shattered windows in adjacent residential homes, and ignited several vehicles parked within the premises. 

The tragedy was compounded by reports of small, successive explosions following the main blast, which momentarily delayed rescue operations.

In addition to the nine fatalities, the MHA confirmed that 32 others were injured, including 27 police personnel, two revenue officials, and three civilians from the adjacent areas. 

The injured were rushed to various hospitals in Srinagar, with reports indicating that several remain in critical condition due to burn injuries and blast trauma.

The Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, immediately ordered a thorough probe into the incident to determine the exact cause of the “accidental” explosion and ensure that official Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for handling such materials were followed. 

Furthermore, the government announced an ex-gratia relief of ₹10 lakh (approximately £9,700) for the families of each deceased individual and ₹1 lakh for those severely injured, offering immediate succour to the victims of this devastating occupational hazard. 

The incident serves as a solemn reminder of the hidden dangers in the ongoing anti-terrorism fight, where the tools of destruction, even when seized, continue to pose a fatal threat.

Headline Points

Accidental Blast: 

A massive explosion, officially termed an accident, occurred at the Nowgam police station in Srinagar, Indian-Controlled Kashmir, late Friday night.

Fatalities and Injuries: 

Nine people were killed, primarily police and forensic officials, and 32 others were injured, many critically.

Cause of Explosion: 

The blast was caused by the detonation of a large cache of confiscated, highly unstable explosives that were being sampled for forensic examination.

Terror Link: 

The explosives were seized as evidence in an ongoing investigation into a massive “white-collar terror module” linked to the recent deadly car blast in New Delhi.

Inquiry Ordered: 

The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir has ordered a high-level inquiry to determine the exact cause of the accidental explosion and review safety protocols.