(New Delhi/Srinagar) At least nine people were killed and 31 injured when explosives seized by police accidentally detonated inside a police station in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
The explosion occurred at approximately 11:20 p.m. local time on Friday (November 14) when the Nowgam police station was inspecting explosives seized earlier this week in Faridabad, a town in the northern state of Haryana.
Nowgam Police Chief, Barabah, told the media that samples of the explosives had been arriving at the station for forensic examination on November 13. Due to the instability of explosives, the examination process was extremely cautious, but "unfortunately, the explosion occurred." The victims included police officers, forensic personnel, a forensic photographer, and local officials.
The police station building was severely damaged, and nearby buildings were also affected. Reuters, citing sources, reported that the explosion was powerful, completely burning some bodies, and some remains were even thrown into houses about 100 to 200 meters away from the police station.
The explosives stored at the police station where the attack occurred are linked to the investigation into a car bombing in New Delhi on Monday evening (10th), which killed at least 13 people and injured more than 20.
Further Reading
Following the bombing of the Naunggang district police station, local media initially reported, inaccurately, that a terrorist organization hiding in Pakistan had claimed responsibility. Indian police quickly clarified, condemning these rumors as "clearly false, baseless, and malicious."
In April of this year, terrorists launched attacks in Indian-administered Kashmir, resulting in a military conflict between India and Pakistan.
