An accidental explosion at Nowgam Police Station killed nine. J&K CM Omar Abdullah assured support to victims’ families, while Farooq Abdullah criticised the handling of the explosive and demanded an independent investigation into the tragedy.
Government Pledges Support to Victims
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday assured that the Government will provide every possible support to the families of the victims who lost their lives in the Nowgam Police Station explosion. CM Abdullah has directed J-K Education and Health Minister Sakina Itoo to ensure the best treatment for the injured, and assured that the damaged structures will be duly compensated.”, an official statement issued by the Chief Minister’s office read.
Farooq Abdullah Demands Independent Probe
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday called for a thorough and independent investigation into the Nowgam police station blast, saying that “mistakes” in the initial handling of the explosive may have contributed to the tragedy that claimed nine lives and damaged multiple residential structures.
Speaking to ANI in Srinagar, the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister criticised the manner in which the explosive material was dealt with by local authorities, stressing that those with proper expertise should have been consulted beforehand. “This is our mistake. Those who understand this explosion better should have been consulted first about how to deal with it, rather than trying to handle it ourselves. You saw the result: nine people lost their lives. So much damage was caused to the houses there,” he said.
Abdullah also linked the fallout of the Nowgam explosion to the atmosphere of suspicion that Kashmiri residents are currently facing across the country following the recent blast in Delhi. “We haven’t yet come out of the crisis in Delhi, where fingers are being pointed at every Kashmiri. When will that day come when they will accept that we are Indians and we are not responsible for this? Ask those who are responsible why these doctors had to take this path. What was the reason?” he remarked.
Police Probe Points to Accidental Blast
The Nowgam blast, which occurred during the handling of an explosive device inside the police station premises, is being probed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. The Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP), Nalin Prabhat, stressed on Saturday that any speculation about the incident was unnecessary, as preliminary findings pointed to an inadvertent blast during a mandated forensic procedure.
An accidental explosion inside the Nowgam Police Station late Friday night left nine personnel dead and 32 others injured and caused extensive damage to the nearby building. The injured were admitted to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital (SMHS) in Srinagar for further treatment. (ANI)
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