Srinagar | An accidental explosion ripped through Nowgam police station here, killing nine people and injuring 27 while authorities were extracting samples from a large cache of explosives confiscated in the 'white-collar' terror module case, officials said on Saturday.
Those killed in the incident that took place on Friday night were three people from Forensic Science Laboratory, two from Revenue department including a Naib Tehsildar, two police photographers, one member of State Investigation Agency and a tailor.
The blast occurred when the personnel were handling the explosive material brought from Haryana's Faridabad, the officials said, adding that the blast took place due to the unstable nature of the chemicals.
The material was part of the 360 kg of explosives recovered from the rented residence of arrested accused Dr Muzammil Ganaie, they said.
The bodies have been taken to the Police Control Room here.
At least 24 police personnel and three civilians have been admitted to various hospitals in the city, the officials said.
The massive blast smashed the quiet of the night and damaged the police station building. Small successive explosions prevented immediate rescue operations by the bomb disposal squad.
While some of the explosives recovered have been kept at forensic lab of police, the major part of the 360 kg of explosives was stored at the police station, where the primary case for the terror module was registered.
The entire conspiracy unravelled after the posters threatening police and security forces appeared on walls in Bunpora, Nowgam, in mid-October.
Treating the incident as a serious threat, Srinagar police registered a case on October 19 and formed a dedicated team.
Meticulous, frame-by-frame analysis of CCTV footage led investigators to identify and arrest the first three suspects -- Arif Nisar Dar alias Sahil, Yasir-ul-Ashraf and Maqsood Ahmad Dar alias Shahid. These three had cases of stone pelting registered against them and were seen pasting the posters.
Their interrogation led to the arrest of Maulvi Irfan Ahmad, a former paramedic turned Imam (preacher) from Shopian who supplied the posters and is believed to have radicalised the doctors using his easy access to the medical community.
The trail ultimately led Srinagar police to Al Falah University in Faridabad, where they arrested Dr Ganaie and Dr Shaheen Sayeed. It was here that the massive cache of chemicals, including ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate and sulphur, was seized.
Investigators believe the entire module was run by a core trio of doctors -- Ganaie, Umar Nabi (the driver of the explosives-laden car that exploded near the Red Fort on November 10) and Muzzaffar Rather (absconding).
The role of the eighth arrested person, Dr Adeel Rather, the brother of the absconding Dr Muzzaffar Rather from whom an AK-56 rifle was seized, is still under investigation