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On the night of November 14, 2025, a devastating accidental explosion rocked the Nowgam Police Station on the outskirts of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the loss of nine lives and injuries to 32 others.

The incident occurred during the forensic examination of explosive materials seized as part of an ongoing terror-related investigation.

Authorities have emphasized that the blast was accidental, ruling out any foul play or terrorist involvement.

Background Of The Incident

The explosives were recovered from Faridabad, Haryana, on November 9 and 10, 2025, in connection with FIR number 162/2025 registered at PS Nowgam.

This seizure was linked to a “white-collar” terror module allegedly involving radicalized professionals, including doctors associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed.

The materials, which included over 2,900 kg of bomb-making substances like ammonium nitrate, were transported and stored securely in an open area within the police station premises.

As per standard procedure, samples of these volatile chemicals were being forwarded for forensic and chemical analysis by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team.

The process had been underway for the past two days, with extreme caution exercised due to the unstable and sensitive nature of the substances.

What Happened

The explosion took place around 11:20 p.m. on November 14 while the FSL team, along with police personnel, crime photographers, revenue officials, and others, were handling and sampling the materials.

The blast was powerful enough to damage the police station building and affect adjacent structures severely.

Successive smaller explosions followed, complicating immediate rescue efforts.

Bodies were reportedly found up to 300 meters away from the site, highlighting the intensity of the detonation.

Casualties And Injuries

In this tragic event:

Deceased (9 individuals): 1 personnel from the State Investigation Agency (SIA), 3 from the FSL team, 2 crime photographers, 2 revenue officials (part of the magistrate’s team, including a Naib Tehsildar), and 1 tailor associated with the team.
Injured (32 individuals): 27 police personnel, 2 revenue officials, and 3 civilians from nearby areas.

The injured were promptly evacuated to nearby hospitals, where they are receiving treatment.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police have expressed solidarity with the families of the deceased and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured.

Official Response

Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat addressed the media on November 15, confirming the accidental nature of the blast.

He stated:

“During the investigation in FIR number 162 of the year 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. 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 has been going on for the past 2 days. Due to the unstable and sensitive nature of the recovery, the sampling process and handling were being done with extreme caution. However, unfortunately, during this course last night around 11:20 p.m., an accidental explosion took place. Any other speculation into the cause of this incident is unnecessary.”

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) echoed this, with Joint Secretary Prashant Lokhande describing it as an “unfortunate accidental incident.”

A high-level inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the exact cause, and damage assessments are ongoing.

Implications And Ongoing Developments

This incident underscores the risks involved in handling seized explosive materials, even under controlled conditions.

While the police have dismissed any terror links to the blast itself, the underlying investigation into the terror module continues, with one suspect still at large.

The J&K Police stand in solidarity with the affected families, and the community awaits further updates from the inquiry.

Stay tuned for more developments as the investigation progresses.

Our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones during this difficult time.