J-K govt announces Rs 10 lakh ex gratia for kin of each deceased in Nowgam blast

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the family of each of the deceased in the accidental blast in Nowgam police station.

The compensation will be provided from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

Those severely injured will get Rs 1 lakh each, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on his official X account.

“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,” he said.

On the directions of the chief minister, Jammu and Kashmir Health Minister Sakina Itoo visited some families who lost their loved ones in the accidental explosion at Nowgam Police Station to offer her condolences.

“She later visited the hospital to inquire about the injured and assured them that the government stands firmly with the affected families in this hour of grief,” Abdullah added.

An “accidental” explosion ripped through the Nowgam police station in Srinagar, killing nine people and injuring 32 others, senior officials said while underlining that it was not a terror attack.

The explosion occurred around 11.20 pm on Friday when a specialised team was extracting samples from a large and “unstable” cache of explosives confiscated in connection with an ongoing ‘white-collar’ terror module investigation.

A bulk of the explosives was stored securely in an open area at the Nowgam police station.