Srinagar/New Delhi: An ‘accidental’ explosion ripped through the Nowgam police station in Srinagar, killing nine people and injuring 32 others, senior officials said while underlining that it was not a terror attack. Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Nalin Prabhat and MHA Joint Secretary (Kashmir) Prashant Lokhande said the incident occurred while officials were handling samples of the large cache of explosives seized in connection with the Jaish-e-Mohammed 'white-collar' terror module case in Haryana's Faridabad.

Prabhat and Lokhande read out almost identical statements before the media in Srinagar and New Delhi, respectively, dismissing speculation of a terror attack and stressing that it was an unfortunate accident. Neither officers took any questions from reporters.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed deep anguish over the loss of lives and has ordered a probe to ascertain the exact cause of the blast.

The explosion occurred around 11:20 pm on Friday when a specialised team was extracting samples from a large and "unstable" cache of explosives confiscated in connection with an ongoing 'white-collar' terror module investigation.

A bulk of the explosives was stored securely in an open area at the Nowgam police station. The nine who died include Naib Tehsildar Muzaffar Ahmed Khan and Suhail Ahmad Rather (Revenue Department), Inspector Israr Ahmad Shah of State Investigation Agency, selection grade constable Aijaz Afzal Mir, constable Mohammad Amin Mir and constable Showkat Ahmad Bhat from Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), selection grade constable Javaid Mansoor Rather and constable Arshid Ahmad Shah from (crime branch photographers). Mohammad Shafi Parray, a tailor by profession and attached to the sampling team, also died in the blast.

Thirty-two people, including 27 police personnel, two revenue officials, and three civilians from the nearby area, were injured, and all of them were immediately taken to hospitals. The massive explosion severely damaged the police station building, and small successive explosions initially hampered rescue operations. Political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir condoled the deaths, with L-G Sinha paying floral tributes to the deceased at the Police Control Room, alongside officials that included Corps Commander Lt Gen Prashant Srivastava, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo and DGP Prabhat.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, former CM Mehbooba Mufti, People's Conference president Sajad Lone, and Democratic Progressive Azad Party chief Ghulam Nabi Azad also extended their sympathies to the bereaved families.