Unfortunate Incident, Not Terror Attack: Authorities Confirm Blast During Inspection Of Seized Ammonium Nitrate At Nowgam Police Station

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir’s Nowgam was jolted by a deadly blast that ripped through the local police station on Friday around midnight. According to reports, a routine inspection of a large cache of seized ammonium nitrate triggered a powerful explosion that turned the situation at the police station into a terrifying one, leaving at least 5 people dead and 13 others severely injured. 

As per locals, the blast was so severe that it damaged the police station building and shattered the windows nearby. Following the blast, the massive fire erupted and engulfed the entire police station. 

Immediately after the explosion, security forces and the fire department, along with other concerned officials, rushed to the spot and initiated a rescue operation. The injured were shifted to the nearby hospital for treatment, while the bodies of the deceased were shifted to the mortuary. 

Investigation To Ascertain Cause Of Blast Underway

The law enforcement agencies are investigating the incident to ascertain the cause of the deadly blast. The security forces cordoned off the entire area as a precautionary measure. 

According to sources, an inspection team consisting of police officers, forensic scientists from the state’s Forensic Science Laboratory, and a Tehsildar (revenue official) was inspecting the seized chemicals at the police station. The team was carefully examining the ammonium nitrate when something went wrong, triggering a massive detonation that reduced part of the police station’s interior to rubble. 

On receiving information, senior police and security officials rushed to the site. A senior official asserted that the incident was an “unfortunate accident” and not a terror attack. So far, the identities of the dead and the injured have not yet been disclosed. 

According to sources, the cause of the explosion is being probed, but early reports suggest a possible handling error or an unexpected chemical reaction. The investigating team will also examine whether proper safety protocols were followed.

The explosion at the Nowgam Police Station occurred around a week after a horrific I-20 car-blast attack near the Red Fort Metro Station killed at least 13 and injured multiple others. The attack near the Red Fort came just days after the joint team of security forces, including the Haryana Police, the Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the Delhi Police, recovered around 2900 kg of ammonium nitrate hidden in two residential buildings in Faridabad. 

As per the official sources, both premises were rented by Dr Mujammil Shakeel, a Pulwama‑born doctor employed at Al Falah Medical College and Hospital in Faridabad, who is now considered a central figure in a ‘white‑collar’ terrorist network that recruits radicalised professionals, many of them doctors.

Earlier, Dr Adil Ahmad Rather, a Kashmiri doctor from Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur, was detained for allegedly posting Jaish‑e‑Mohammed propaganda in Srinagar. After questioning Shakeel, officers recovered a car belonging to a female doctor at Al Falah Hospital and recovered an assault rifle and a pistol from the car, leading to her arrest.

The investigating teams hinted that the network is directed by handlers in Pakistan and elsewhere and is engaged in a range of terrorist activities, including the distribution of propaganda posters. In addition to Shakeel and Rather, five other suspects have been apprehended, who have been identified as Arif Nisar Dar, Yasir‑ul‑Ashraf, and Maqsood Ahmad Dar (all from Srinagar), Molvi Irfan Ahmad (Shopian), and Zameer Ahmad Ahanger (Ganderbal). Additionally, alongside the weapons and explosives recovery, the security forces seized documents on IED construction.

Further details regarding the incident are awaited.