A high-intensity explosion in a car near Delhi’s historic Red Fort on Monday evening killed at least eight people and left 24 injured, according to media reports.
An explosion ripped through a slow-moving Hyundai i20 at 6.52 pm after it halted at a traffic signal near Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station. “The blast took place in a slow-moving vehicle that stopped at the Red Fort traffic signal. There were occupants in the car. The blast damaged cars nearby,” Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha told reporters.
Three to four vehicles caught fire and sustained damage in the incident. The car was registered in Haryana in the name of one Nadeem. Disturbing visuals from the scene showed bodies on the ground, severed body parts, and damaged vehicles.
Fire services sent seven units to the location. “At 7:29 PM, the fire was brought under control,” said Deputy Chief Fire Officer AK Malik.
Victims were rushed to the nearby Lok Nayak Hospital, where anxious relatives gathered outside. Some of the injured remain in critical condition.
The 17th-century Red Fort, a major tourist attraction, draws visitors throughout the year. The nearby Chandni Chowk Market, one of Delhi’s busiest and oldest markets that sees 4-6 lakh daily visitors, will remain closed on Tuesday.
“The shops in Chandni Chowk will be closed on Tuesday, as there is fear among traders after the blast,” said Sanjay Bhargaw, president of the Chandni Chowk Traders Association. “The explosion was so strong that our entire building shook. There was chaos in the market as people started running.”
Eyewitness Rajdhar Pandey, a local resident, said, “I saw flames from my house and rushed down. There was a loud explosion, it shook everything.”
Zeeshan, an auto driver injured in the blast, said, “The car in front of me was about two feet away. I don’t know whether there was a bomb in it or something else, but it exploded.”
Vineet Seth, a shop owner from Dariba Kalan, recalled, “It felt like a mini earthquake. We could hear the blast so clearly followed by screams and complete chaos.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visited both the site and the hospital to meet victims. “We are probing all angles,” Shah said. “Within 10 minutes of receiving the information of the blast, teams from the Delhi Crime Branch and Delhi Special Branch arrived at the spot.”
India’s National Investigation Agency and the National Security Guard have joined the investigations. Delhi has been placed under heightened security, with neighbouring states and major cities including Mumbai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Haryana, Punjab, Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala, and Bihar also taking precautionary measures. Authorities in Gautam Buddh Nagar and Chennai have strengthened security arrangements.
The incident occurred on the same day a joint operation by Jammu and Kashmir Police and Haryana Police recovered 300 kg of explosives, suspected to be ammonium nitrate, along with weapons and ammunition from Dhauj village in Faridabad, about 40 km away. Whether the two incidents are linked remains under investigation.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed condolences, calling the incident “deeply saddening and concerning.” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also shared her shock and condolences.
