Forensic Lighting May Have Triggered Blast: Probe

Preliminary investigations into the accidental explosion that tore through the Nowgam police station late Friday night, killing nine people, indicate that excessive lighting used by the forensic team may have triggered the blast, officials said on Sunday.

Officials suspect that the last few boxes stored a liquid substance, likely a mixture of acetophenone, hydrogen peroxide and sulphuric acid, and that efforts to examine it more closely led the forensic team to increase the lighting setup, which is believed to have triggered the massive explosion. Although acetophenone is commonly used in industrial applications, it is also a key precursor in the production of acetone peroxide, a highly volatile and sensitive improvised explosive. Officials said the chemical combination, along with external heat generated by the intensified lighting or fumes from the sulphuric acid, may have triggered a premature detonation.

Sampling of the 360-kg cache of chemicals, which included ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate and sulphur, had been underway for two days, officials said. The materials had been brought to the Nowgam police station as it served as the registration point for the original case. The massive explosion that followed caused extensive damage to the police station building and also impacted nearby structures.

Nowgam Police Station had played a key role in dismantling the module, which authorities described as a sophisticated “white-collar” network blending professional legitimacy with radicalisation. The probe began after Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) posters appeared in the area threatening security forces and “outsiders.”

On Sunday, Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) searched a doctor’s residence in Malakhnag, Anantnag. Officers found a female doctor from Haryana living there as a tenant and seized a mobile phone for forensic examination.

Meanwhile, Bilal Ahmad Wani, a dry fruit seller whose son Jasir Bilal and brother Naveem Wani were detained for questioning, attempted self-immolation in Qazigund. He was taken to GMC Anantnag with burns and is in stable condition, doctors said. Wani is a neighbour of key accused Dr Muzaffar Rather, believed to be in Afghanistan. Muzaffar’s brother, Dr Adeel Rather, was arrested in Saharanpur on November 6.

J&K Police conducted surprise inspections of fertiliser and chemical shops across the Valley to prevent misuse of agricultural materials. Teams checked stock records, licences, storage and sales under senior supervision, while sensitising shopkeepers on documentation, guidelines, and reporting suspicious purchases. A police spokesman said restricted chemicals must be sold strictly as per norms.