9 people killed in powerful explosion at Indian police station — days after Delhi terror attack
A powerful explosion at a police station in Indian Kashmir killed nine people, incinerating their bodies and tossing some more than 650 feet away — just days after a terrorist attack in New Delhi killed eight.
Srinagar police and forensic experts were examining a slew of confiscated explosives at the Nowgam police station on Friday night when the bombs detonated, ripping the building apart, said Nalin Prabhat, director general of police for the region.
As investigators work to uncover why the bombs went off, identifying the bodies will likely take some time as several of the corpses have been completely burnt, one police source told Reuters.
“The intensity of the blast was such that some body parts were recovered from nearby houses, around 100-200 meters (328-656 feet) away from the police station,” the source added.
Most of the people killed were the police officers and forensic officials who were examining the explosives, along with two local officials who were at the station at the time, according to local reports.
The blast ripped through the police station, injuring another 27 people and causing cars parked near the building to ignite as the flames spread.
Police labeled the incident “an accidental explosion” as they tried to reassure the public that it was unrelated to last week’s terrorist attack in the Indian capital.
A car bomb had exploded near New Delhi’s Red Fort landmark on Monday, killing eight people and injuring another 20 as chaos descended upon the historic tourist site.
At least five people were arrested following the New Delhi attack, which triggered a crackdown across multiple regions, including in Kashmir.
It remains unclear if the bombs that police had at the Nowgam police station were explosives that were confiscated during last week’s crackdown.
Kashmir lies at the heart of a decades-old conflict between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan, who have fought periodic wars over their claim to the land, which both nations occupy.
With Post wires
