People carry the body of tailor Mohammad Shafi Parray inside ambulance. He was among nine people who lost their lives in the Nowgam Police station blast in Srinagar on Saturday, 15, November 2025.
| Photo Credit: IMRAN NISSAR
Gloom gripped parts of the Kashmir Valley on Saturday (November 15, 2025) as the bodies of nine persons, killed in the accidental explosion at the Nowgam Police Station on Friday night, reached their hometowns.
In Nowgam, people recounted horrific scenes they witnessed after the blast, as scores of houses bore the impact of the massive explosion.
The damage caused by the powerful explosion was evident in the remains of the Nowgam police station, a multi-storey building located in a congested locality on the outskirts of Srinagar. Shattered corridors, burnt records and mangled vehicles are all that is left of the police station, which was investigating the “white collar” inter-State terror module case since October 19 and recovered around 2,900 kg of explosive materials in multiple raids.
“We were preparing to sleep when the earth shook and window panes were shattered around 11:20 p.m. on Friday. A huge brown glow lit up the skies. In confusion, we rushed to check on the kids and leave the premises. To our shock, we found body parts littered around the area,” said a mother of two from Nowgam.
Scores of houses adjacent to the police station suffered damages. “Besides the damaged windows, the blast caused cracks in the walls of houses. I have never seen such horrific scenes. For a moment, we thought flames could engulf the entire area,” said another resident of Nowgam.
Mere meters away from the police station, the family of Muhammad Shafi Parray, a tailor by profession, appears shellshocked. “Parray left home around 10 a.m. to help the police with some packing. He returned during the day to offer Friday prayers. He joined the police again in the afternoon. He was the lone breadwinner for the family of four. The government should give one of his three children a job to sustain their livelihood,” a relative said.
A pall of gloom also descended on the village of Javaid Ahmad Rather, who worked as a cameraman with the Crime Branch and was part of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team taking samples of the seized explosives at the police station. Rather, who married in 2020, is survived by a three-year-old daughter. “He was helpful to everyone in the village. It is tragic to see the young soul buried for no fault of his,” a relative said.
Hundreds of locals attended the last rites of Naib Tehsildar Muzaffar Ahmad at Budgam’s Soibugh. Amid sloganeering, the body of Ahmad was lowered into the grave. Newly elected Budgam MLA Aga Muntazir Mehdi was among the mourners. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cancelled all celebrations for its Budgam bypoll victory after the Nowgam incident.
Villagers in Kupwara’s Omerapad, hometown of Sub-Inspector Asrar Ahmad Shah called him a “rolemodel” for local youth. “Ahmad was looked up to by local youth for his professionalism and achievements,” said Nazir Khan, a resident. Ahmad is survived by his wife, two kids and elederly parents. Shah was recruited into the police force in 2011 and served as an officer in the J&K Police’s Special Cell, State Investigation Agency (SIA). Loud wails filled the air as the body of Shah was shifted to the ancestral graveyard, as hundreds joined to offer funeral prayers at Eidgah.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has announced that it would compensate residents for the damage caused to nearby structures. “The government stands firmly with the victims’ families and will provide every possible support to them,” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said.
According to the police, 32 persons, including 27 police personnel, were injured in the blast.
Published – November 15, 2025 10:22 pm IST
