Nine people were killed and 32 others injured in a powerful accidental blast at the Nowgam police station on the outskirts of Srinagar, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs said on Saturday.
Briefing reporters in New Delhi, Prashant Lokhande, Joint Secretary in the ministry, said the cause of the explosion is under investigation and urged the public to avoid speculation.
He explained that the incident occurred while officials were handling a large quantity of explosive substances and chemicals recovered during a recent crackdown on a terror module.
The seized materials, described as volatile and sensitive, had been stored in an open but secured area within the police station compound.
Lokhande said the consignment was undergoing routine forensic and chemical examination, a process that had been ongoing for two days because of the volume of the recovery.
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According to the ministry, the blast occurred around 11.20 pm on November 14 while the material was being processed under expert supervision.
The explosion claimed nine lives and left 27 police personnel, two revenue department officials and three civilians injured.
The police station building suffered extensive damage and nearby structures were also affected.
Lokhande said investigators are determining the precise trigger of the explosion and emphasised that conjecture about the cause is unwarranted at this stage.
