A mysterious blast during the demolition of an old mosque in Handwara village injured three people and caused panic. Police and army conducted thorough searches, and a First Information Report (FIR) was registered for an in-depth investigation. The powerful and mysterious explosion occurred during the demolition of the 100-year-old Masjid Kadeem in Kachri village, Langate area of Handwara in Kupwara district of north Kashmir.
The blast happened while labourers were working at the mosque site and removing debris. Three people sustained injuries: two are stable, while one is still serious and has been shifted to Srinagar for advanced treatment. The three injured were identified as Mudasir Ahmad Mir, 26, of Nutnoosa (serious); Ghulam Ahmad Tantray, 65, of Kachri; and Owais Ahmad, 10, of Hadipora.
All injured individuals were residents involved in the demolition work. They were initially treated at Sub-District Hospital Langate, with Mudasir Ahmad Mir later shifted to Srinagar for specialized treatment due to the severity of his injuries.
The blast caused panic in the local community. Residents were scared by the sudden explosion during routine reconstruction work, which had been ongoing for the past four days. The mosque was under the management of a local committee, which was overseeing the demolition and rebuilding process, and all members were in a state of panic. Locals stated they did not know the nature of the blast, but three people were injured, and police and army conducted thorough searches of the area. Locals added that this mosque was 100 years old and was being demolished to construct a new one.
Gulam Rasool (Nambardaar) said, “I heard a blast happened here. When I heard it, I informed the police, and then I came back here to see how many got injured. We are demolishing it to construct a new one; it’s an around 100-year-old mosque. I heard three got injured; one is critical.”
Manzoor Ahmad (local) stated, “Suddenly a blast happened. It’s a 100-year-old mosque. We don’t know, the labour was collecting debris and the blast happened. Police came, army came, they searched the area, the SP came. It’s an old mosque; we have to construct it new. Now we have stopped work.”
Police refused to speak on camera but stated an FIR was registered and an investigation was launched. The explosion was described as “mysterious.”
The “suspicious object,” which exploded during the process, seems to be an old, rusted grenade explosive; however, the exact cause is a matter of investigation. No definitive evidence points to terrorism, despite the region’s history of conflict.
Security forces, including police, immediately cordoned off the area, and a massive search was conducted. The Handwara Superintendent of Police confirmed that an FIR was filed, and a detailed probe was launched to ascertain the blast’s origin.
Sources indicated that the investigation includes examining whether the explosion could be linked to residual explosives dumped in the past.
Handwara and Kupwara have experienced previous explosions, including a mysterious blast near an army camp in 2022 attributed to an old shell, and a 2021 residential house explosion possibly due to an LPG cylinder.
These incidents highlight the region’s vulnerability to explosions.
Police sources involved in the investigation said, “it seems it’s likely an old, rusted grenade which exploded when the mosque was being demolished.”
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