J&K: A massive explosion ripped through the Nowgam Police Station late Friday night, killing nine people and injuring 32 others, in what authorities have described as an accidental detonation of volatile materials linked to an ongoing terror investigation.
A newly surfaced CCTV video captures the moment of the blast, showing a sudden flash of light followed by a powerful explosion that sent debris flying and caused widespread chaos in the vicinity. The explosion occurred around 11:20 PM while officials were handling a large cache of chemically unstable ammonium nitrate, recently recovered during a high-profile terror probe.
Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police, Nalin Prabhat, confirmed that the explosion happened during the forensic examination of explosives seized in connection with FIR 162 of 2025. “A huge quantity of explosive substances, chemicals, and reagents were recovered from Faridabad on November 9 and 10, 2025,” the DGP said. “These materials were being sampled and examined by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team when, unfortunately, an accidental explosion occurred.”
The deceased include a personnel of the State Investigation Agency (SIA), three FSL officials, two crime scene photographers, two revenue officials, and a tailor associated with the inspection team. Among the injured were 27 police personnel, two revenue officials, and three civilians from nearby areas.
Sources indicate that the explosives recovered were not ordinary fertilizer-grade ammonium nitrate but a chemically altered, highly unstable batch. Experts warn that had the material been deployed in urban areas such as Delhi markets or metro corridors, the resulting blast could have caused casualties five to ten times higher than typical ammonium nitrate devices. Officials now consider the accidental detonation as both a warning and a narrowly averted major terror strike.
The explosives were linked to a sophisticated “white-collar terror module” that had also been involved in a recent car bomb blast at Delhi’s Red Fort, which killed 13 people. Investigations revealed the network included radicalized professionals across several states, involved in procurement, logistics, and IED assembly.
The total explosives recovered from multiple raids across Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh were estimated at nearly 3,000 kilograms. Key seizures included 2,563 kilograms from the residence of Hafeez Mohammad Ishtiaq in Faridabad and 358 kilograms of additional material, including detonators and timers, from other locations.
The blast caused extensive damage to the police station building and nearby structures. Injured personnel were rushed to the Indian Army’s 92 Base Hospital and the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) for urgent treatment. The Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar, Akshay Labroo, personally visited hospitals to meet the victims.
A formal inquiry into the incident has been initiated. DGP Prabhat emphasized that the Jammu and Kashmir Police stand in solidarity with the families of the deceased and urged the public to refrain from speculation regarding the blast.
