At least nine people were killed and 32 injured when a pile of confiscated explosives detonated inside a police station in Srinagar in India-administered Kashmir, police said on Saturday.

The blast happened in the Nowgam area of Srinagar, the region's main city, late Friday, while officials were examining explosives.

Jammu and Kashmir police chief Nalin Prabhat ruled out any foul play, saying it was an "accidental explosion."

"Any other speculation into the cause of this incident is unnecessary," he told a news conference. 

What else do we know about the blast at the Kashmir police station?

According to Prabhat, the dead included policemen, government officials and forensic staff. 

"The building of the police station has been severely damaged and the adjacent buildings have been affected," said Prabhat.

The Nowgam police station was engulfed in fire as a result of the explosion and several vehicles nearby were damaged.

A police source told Reuters that authorities are working on identifying the bodies, as some have been completely burnt.

"The intensity of the blast was such that some body parts were recovered from nearby houses, around 100-200 metres away from the police station," the source said.

Several small explosions followed the initial blast, which briefly delayed rescue and firefighting efforts.

Why are tensions high in India?

The police station blast in Kashmir comes amid heightened tensions in India.

On Monday, a car exploded in the capital, New Delhi, killing at least eight people in what the Indian government has called a terror attack.

Indian security agencies detained several suspects in Kashmir as part of their investigations into the car explosion.

Edited by: Sean Sinico