The blast inside Nowgam police station in Jammu and Kashmir has raised questions on how authorities handle and store confiscated explosives.
The explosive chemicals, which were seized from the Fridabad terror module, killed more than 9 people and injured 32 on Friday.
Speaking to The Print, two cops who survived the blast recalled their accounts of the incident. They said that the blast occurred when the lac seal was being applied to the explosive material.
What is lac seal
Lac seal is a traditional method used by law enforcement agencies to secure seized items such as contraband, documents, cash or any other evidence.
The resin-based wax is melted using a small flame, and is then applied to the seized item. It is then stamped with the official logo.
The Friday explosion in Nowgam has pushed authorities to rethink this method of securing seized explosives. Could the lac seal have triggered the blast?
According to the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the blast occurred when the forensics team was collecting samples from the seized explosives.
The bomb-making materials had weighed approximately 29,000 kg, including the 20,000 kgs of ammonium.
Ammonium nitrate in its pure form is usually stable. Experts say that any contamination of the explosives, like applying lac seal wax, could increase the risk of explosion.
Probe ordered
Though officials have not provided much details on the incident, a probe has been ordered. But this is not the first time that such an explosion has taken place.
In September 2021, a police station in Odisha was ripped apart by an explosion from seized explosive material.
A probe revealed that the explosives were kept in a storage inside the police station for two years without following any safety protocol.
Following this, the Odisha Police issued a circular banning the storage of explosives inside police stations.
Both the Odisha incident, and the recent Nowgam explosion show how glaring gaps in protocol and procedures cause avoidable deaths.
