Explosive Accident at Kashmir Police Station Claims Nine Lives

A tragic explosion at a police station in Indian-administered Kashmir on March 15, 2024, resulted in the deaths of at least nine individuals and injuries to 32 others. The blast occurred in the Nowgam area of Srinagar, the region’s principal city, while forensic experts and police were examining a cache of confiscated explosives. According to regional police director-general Nalin Prabhat, the incident was an accident and not the result of foul play.

The fatalities included six police and forensic officials, two civil administrators, and one civilian. Some of the injured remain in critical condition, highlighting the severity of the incident. The explosion was powerful enough to cause extensive damage, ripping through the police station and igniting multiple vehicles parked nearby. Eyewitness accounts described a series of smaller explosions that hampered immediate rescue efforts.

This incident occurred just days after a car bomb detonated in New Delhi, killing at least eight people near the historic Red Fort. Indian officials labeled that attack a “heinous terror incident” orchestrated by “anti-national forces.” The car explosion took place shortly after police in Kashmir dismantled a suspected militant cell, arresting seven individuals and seizing a large quantity of bomb-making materials in Faridabad, a city near New Delhi.

In a swift response to the New Delhi attack, Indian security agencies intensified their operations in Kashmir. Authorities questioned hundreds of individuals and detained several as part of their investigation. Police confirmed that DNA evidence linked the car’s driver to a Kashmiri doctor, whose family home in the southern district of Pulwama was subsequently demolished by government forces.

Prabhat explained that the explosive materials were securely stored in an open area of the police station, where the investigation into the suspected militant cell had commenced last month. He stated that a team was taking samples for forensic analysis when the explosion occurred, reiterating that it was an “accidental explosion.”

“The blast could be heard from miles away in Srinagar,” Prabhat noted, with local residents recalling the deafening noise that rattled homes and shattered windows. Some of the victims’ remains were discovered in nearby houses, illustrating the blast’s devastating impact.

The community has expressed outrage in the aftermath of the explosion. Relatives of Mohammad Shafi Parray, a tailor who was killed in the blast, gathered outside his home in Nowgam and protested at the police station, demanding justice. They questioned why Parray had been summoned to the station shortly before the explosion, with one relative claiming he was called in to help prepare bags for storing explosive samples.

The longstanding conflict in Kashmir, which has seen militants opposing Indian administration since 1989, continues to cast a shadow over the region. Both India and Pakistan claim the territory in full, with India accusing Pakistan of sponsoring terrorism in the area, a charge that Pakistan denies. Many Kashmiris view the struggle as a legitimate fight for freedom.

As investigations continue, the tragic events in Nowgam underscore the volatile situation in Kashmir and the ongoing challenges faced by authorities in maintaining safety and security in the region.