Fatal Explosion at Nowgam Police Station: 9 Dead, 32 Injured in Accidental Blast During Forensic Procedure

Director General of J&K Police Nalin Prabhat addresses a press conference

The Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP), Nalin Prabhat, emphasized on Saturday that speculation regarding the incident was unnecessary, as initial findings indicated an accidental blast during a required forensic procedure.

An unintentional explosion at Nowgam Police Station late Friday night resulted in nine personnel fatalities and 32 injuries, while causing substantial damage to the nearby structure. The wounded individuals were transported to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital (SMHS) in Srinagar for medical care.

The DGP stated that the nine casualties included one State Investigation Agency (SIA) officer, three FSL team members, two crime-scene photographers, two revenue officials assisting the Magistrate's team, and a tailor involved with the operation.

During his media briefing, 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 explained that the explosion occurred during the ongoing investigation under FIR 162 of 2025, connected to a significant seizure of explosive materials, chemicals, and reagents recovered from Faridabad on November 9 and 10.

He confirmed that the confiscated materials had been properly stored in an open area of the Nowgam Police Station in compliance with standard procedures.

"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 clarified that due to the "voluminous nature" of the recovered materials, the forensic sampling process had been ongoing for the previous two days.

A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team was carefully handling the substances with extreme caution, considering their unstable properties.

"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 noted that the police station structure suffered "very severe damage," with nearby buildings also affected by the blast. A comprehensive assessment of the structural damages is currently underway.

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

Earlier on Friday, an accidental explosion occurred near Nowgam police station in Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in nine personnel deaths and 32 injuries while causing extensive damage to the building.

Following the explosion, Inspector General (IG) of the CRPF Pawan Kumar Sharma hurried to the location to oversee relief operations and evaluate security measures. Security personnel secured the area around the police station to ensure safety, while officials remained present to implement necessary precautionary protocols.

Earlier that day, Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat visited the site and departed after evaluating the situation. Investigations into the explosion's cause are currently in progress.

A team from FSL and SDRF was present at the scene to investigate the blast incident. Authorities have requested the public to avoid the area and cooperate with security forces as inquiry operations continue.