Nine killed in accidental explosion at police station in Indian-administered Kashmir, officials say

Nine people were killed and 32 others injured after a stockpile of accidentally confiscated explosives exploded at a police station in Indian-administered Kashmir, police said.

It comes only days later A car explosion killed several people in DelhiWhat the government described as a “terrorist incident.”

The explosion occurred on Friday evening at Nowgam police station, and the explosives were seized in Faridabad in the northern state of Haryana earlier in the week.

Director General of Police in the region, Nalin Prabhat, said that the explosives were being sent for forensic examination, but due to a very unfortunate accident while handling them, they exploded at around 23:20 local time (17:50 GMT).

The police said in a statement that the explosion was accidental and not a terrorist attack. “Any further speculation about the cause of this accident is unnecessary,” the police chief told reporters.

He added that the police station was severely damaged by the explosion, and neighboring buildings were also damaged.

A police statement said that several vehicles “caught fire and turned into charred husks, and debris was scattered across the site.”

A source told Reuters news agency: “The intensity of the explosion was so great that some body parts were recovered from neighboring houses, about 100 to 200 meters from the police station.”

Most of the victims were police officers, along with forensic personnel, two crime scene photographers, and a tailor who was with the team.

Manoj Sinha, the Indian government-appointed deputy governor of the region, expressed his condolences and said he had ordered an investigation.

“I have ordered an investigation to ascertain the cause of the accidental explosion. I am deeply saddened by the loss of precious lives due to the very tragic accidental explosion at Nowgam Police Station in Srinagar. My condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he wrote on social media.