Hours after the massive late night blast at Srinagar’s Naugam police station, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Saturday termed the tragedy as an “unfortunate accident”.
In an official statement, Jammu and Kashmir division (MHA) joint secretary Prashant Lokhande said the blast occurred inside the police station at 11:20 pm on November 14.
The officer said that Naugam police had recently busted a terrorist module on the basis of clues obtained from a poster. “During the investigation of FIR No. 162/2025, the officers recovered a huge cache of explosive substances and chemicals, which were kept as per rules in the open area of the police station.”
Lokhande said that for the last two days, the agencies involved in the investigation were sending the recovered material for forensic and chemical examination following the standard operating protocol.
He further said, “Due to the volatile and sensitive nature of the seized explosives, experts were continuously monitoring the handling process.”
The Joint Secretary said that during this routine process on Friday night, a powerful accidental explosion occurred, in which nine people lost their lives. Additionally, 27 policemen, two revenue officers and three civilians were injured in the incident.
According to the official, the injured were immediately taken to nearby hospitals for medical treatment.
He also reported that “the explosion caused heavy damage to the police station building and several nearby structures were also affected”, and stressed that “the exact cause of the accidental explosion is being investigated and urged the public to avoid unnecessary speculation.”
“The government stands with the families of the deceased in this hour of grief and assures all possible assistance to the injured,” the official said.