A blast triggered by a stockpile of confiscated explosives at a Srinagar police station killed at least seven people and injured 27 others on Friday night, according to Indian media reports. NDTV said most of the victims were policemen and forensic officials who had been examining the seized explosives when the blast occurred.
Several of the injured remain in critical condition, and authorities fear the death toll may rise. Reuters could not immediately verify the cause of the explosion, and local police did not respond to requests for comment.
A local police official earlier told Reuters that the explosion had ripped through the Nowgam police station compound, igniting a fire that quickly engulfed parts of the facility. Fire crews were dispatched to the scene as emergency responders searched for survivors amid the debris.
The explosives stored at the station were reportedly ammonium nitrate-based materials seized earlier in November as part of a broader investigation spanning Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. Police say the seized materials are potentially linked to a deadly car blast that struck Delhi earlier in the week.
Monday’s explosion outside the Red Fort killed eight people and wounded at least 20, marking the first major blast in the heavily guarded capital since 2011. Indian authorities have launched an investigation under stringent anti-terrorism laws but have not named suspects or made arrests in connection with the Delhi attack.
Investigators are probing potential links between the car blast and the earlier detention of seven men from Kashmir, including two doctors, who were arrested with arms and nearly three tonnes of bomb-making materials.
Following the Delhi explosion, police in IIOJK conducted widespread raids across the region, detaining about 500 people for questioning. Most were released, but authorities say the investigation continues. Senior leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have vowed that those responsible for the attacks will be brought to justice.
