A devastating explosion at the Nowgam police station in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on Friday night has resulted in the deaths of nine people and injuries to 32 others. The incident occurred while authorities were extracting samples from a large cache of confiscated explosives. Officials have ruled out foul play, attributing the blast to an accidental explosion during the handling of the sensitive material.

Among the deceased are members of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, including Inspector Israr Ahmad Shah of the State Investigation Agency (SIA), forensic science laboratory (FSL) personnel, and crime branch officials. Also killed were two officials from the Revenue Department and a local tailor.

The police investigation began after pro-Jaish-e-Muhammad posters appeared in the Nowgam area on October 19, leading to the arrest of seven locals. The investigation further led to the arrest of two medical doctors, Adeel Ahmad Rather and Muzamil Ahmad Ganaie, from Kashmir. The seized explosives were linked to an inter-State terror module case. The explosive materials had been seized from Faridabad in Haryana.

The Director-General of Police for Jammu and Kashmir, Nalin Prabhat, stated that the explosion occurred while a team of officials was handling explosive substances stored in an open area at the police station. He added that sampling and handling were done with extreme caution by the FSL team, given the unstable nature of the materials. According to the Press Trust of India, small successive explosions prevented immediate rescue operations.

The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, has ordered a probe into the incident. He also stated that there was no terror conspiracy or outside interference behind the blast. Sinha lauded the Jammu and Kashmir Police for dismantling the pan-Indian "white collar" terror module and thwarting many terrorist incidents in the country.

The tragic incident has brought shock and grief to the region. The deaths of these individuals, many of whom were young, educated Kashmiris building careers, represent a significant loss for their families and communities. The investigation into the blast is ongoing, with teams from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the National Security Guard (NSG) assisting in the probe.