Ruling out terror angle, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir police Nalin Prabhat on Saturday said that any other speculation into the cause that led to the blast inside the Nowgam police station in Srinagar is “unnecessary”. He also confirmed that 9 people have died in the blast and 30 others have been injured.
Sharing details during a press conference at PCR Srinagar, the DGP said the recovered explosive material was transported to Kashmir and kept securely in the open area of police station Nowgam.“As part of the prescribed procedure, the samples of the recovery material had to be forwarded for further forensic and chemical examination. On account of the voluminous nature of the recovery, this procedure was going on since yesterday,” he said.
He further said that due to the unstable and sensitive nature of the recovery, the handling of the sampling process was being done with utmost caution. Despite these precautions, however, unfortunately at 11:20 accidental explosion took place. “Any other speculation into the cause of this incident is unnecessary.
He said that in the incident 9 people were killed, including a State Investigating Agency officer, 3 FSL members, 2 photographers, 2 revenue officials and a tailor. “In addition, 27 cops, 2 revenue officials and 3 civilians from the adjacent areas have been injured in the incident. The injured were immediately evacuated to the nearest hospitals for treatment,” he added.
The DGP also said that the building of the police station is very severely damaged, and the adjacent buildings also suffered damage.
“The cause for the unfortunate incident is being inquired into. J&K police stands in solidarity with the families in this hour of grief,” he said. Providing the casualty details, Prabhat said nine personnel lost their lives, including one official of the State Investigation Agency (SIA), three members of the FSL team, two crime photographers, two revenue officials who were part of the magistrate’s team, and a tailor associated with the officials.
He said 27 police personnel, two revenue officials and three civilians from nearby residential areas sustained injuries. All the injured were immediately evacuated to the hospital and are undergoing treatment.
The blast severely damaged the police station building and also affected several adjacent structures. “The extent of the damage is being ascertained,” he said, adding that a formal inquiry has been initiated to establish the precise cause of the accident.
Expressing deep grief, the DGP said, “J&K Police stands in solidarity with the families of the deceased in this hour of grief.”
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