Nagpur: In the wake of the deadly explosion at Nowgam police station in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed nine lives and left 30 injured, police forces across the country are reassessing safety procedures for handling seized explosives. The incident has intensified scrutiny over storage norms and the need for strict compliance with established protocols.
According to senior officials from Nagpur Police Department, routine ammunition can be stored at police stations, but explosive materials recovered during raids are generally transferred to Ordnance Factories. These specialised facilities provide temperature-controlled environments and essential protective equipment such as bomb suits and insulated gloves—critical safeguards to prevent accidental ignition. Even minimal electrostatic discharge, officers noted, can trigger a devastating blast if volatile substances are improperly handled.
The Nowgam explosion occurred during examination of a large cache of explosives and chemicals seized from Faridabad. Over 350 kg of ammonium nitrate had reportedly been stored inside a room where investigators, forensic experts and a magistrate were collecting samples. The magistrate, a Naib Tehsildar, and the lead investigator, Inspector Shah Asrar, were standing near the stockpile when it unexpectedly detonated.
The blast not only destroyed key evidence linked to explosives recovered from radicalised medical professionals in Faridabad but also killed investigators at the forefront of the probe. The scale of destruction has raised serious concerns about whether essential safety norms were followed during storage and inspection.
Officials stressed that dealing with such materials demands strict attention to temperature control, proper gear and procedural discipline—factors that reinforce why sensitive explosives are generally routed to Ordnance Factories rather than kept at police stations.
While authorities have ruled out sabotage, an inquiry is underway to determine the precise cause of the explosion. The tragedy has reignited nationwide discussions on the need for uncompromising adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to avert similar incidents in the future.
