The Union Home Ministry said on Saturday that the blast inside Nowgam Police Station in Jammu and Kashmir was accidental. Officials said the explosion took place while teams collected samples of explosive material for forensic testing.
The explosives stored at the Nowgam Police Station came from the Faridabad module of doctors linked to the Red Fort blast case. Investigators had recovered the material earlier and shifted it to Kashmir for examination. The police stored the chemicals and explosives in an open area inside the station.
The explosion on Friday night killed at least nine people. It also injured 27 others and destroyed the police station building.
Nowgam Blast: Casualties & Damages
Nine people died in the blast. Among the 27 injured were police personnel, two revenue officials and three civilians. The explosion severely damaged the police station building. Nearby structures also suffered damage.
Lokhande said, “The building of the police station has been severely damaged, besides that, other buildings surrounding the police station have also been damaged. The cause of the accident is being investigated. However, any other speculation into the cause of this incident is unnecessary.”
Explosives Belonged to Faridabad Terror Module
According to officials, the sampling work had been going on for two days. Teams were examining the recovered chemicals following standard operating procedures. The materials were unstable and required expert supervision.
Addressing the media, Prashant Lokhande, Joint Secretary, MHA, said the recovery came during the investigation of FIR No. 162/2025 registered at Nowgam Police Station.
He said, “The Nowgam Police recently cracked the case of a terror module based on leads taken from a poster. During the investigation of FIR No. 162/2025 of PS Nowgam, a huge cache of explosive substances and chemicals was also recovered. The recovery was kept securely in the open area of the police station. All the agencies involved in the investigation are working together in a coordinated and scientific way.”
Lokhande said the blast occurred around 11:30 pm on Friday. He called it “accidental.”
Sampling Work Was Underway for the Last Two Days
The officer explained that the teams were following all procedures. He said the large quantity of explosives made the process slow and required constant caution.
He added, “As part of standard and prescribed procedure, the recovered chemical and explosives samples were being forwarded for further forensic and chemical examination. Because of voluminous recovery, the said process was continually attended for about last 2 days by following the standard operating procedure. Owing to the unstable and sensitive nature of recovery, it was being handled carefully under expert supervision. However, during the process, an accidental explosion took place at about 11:20 pm on Friday.”
Blast Sparks Questions on Safe Storage Norms
Security officials said the incident has raised fresh questions about safe-storage norms for explosive recoveries at police facilities. Experts say many police stations lack specialised storage units. This accident may push authorities to review protocols and create dedicated, secure storage sites for volatile substances.
