The Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday announced an ex gratia of ₹10 lakh for the family of each person killed in the accidental blast at the Nowgam Police Station in Srinagar. The compensation will be released from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah confirmed the decision on his official X account, stating, “As a mark of solidarity and immediate succour, the government has announced ex gratia relief from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund at Rs 10 lakh for each deceased and Rs 1 lakh for those severely injured.”
According to the CM, those who sustained severe injuries in the explosion will receive ₹1 lakh each. The relief aims to support families who suffered sudden and devastating losses.
Health Minister Visits Victims’ Families
On Omar Abdullah’s directions, Jammu and Kashmir Health Minister Sakina Itoo visited several families who lost their loved ones in the explosion. She later went to the hospital to check on the injured.
Abdullah added that the minister assured families that the government “stands firmly with the affected families in this hour of grief.”
Senior officials stated that the explosion, which killed nine people and injured 32 others, was accidental and not a terror attack. The blast occurred around 11:20 pm on Friday when a specialised team was extracting samples from a large and “unstable” cache of explosives.
The explosives had been confiscated during an ongoing investigation into a ‘white-collar’ terror module. A bulk of the material was stored securely in an open area at the police station when the incident occurred.
