At least eight people were killed and 20 others injured on Monday evening when a car exploded near the historic Red Fort in the heart of India’s capital, police said, a rare and deadly blast in one of the country’s most heavily secured cities.
The explosion occurred shortly before 7 p.m. (1330 GMT) near a busy metro station in Delhi’s old quarter, sending flames and thick smoke into the air as crowds fled in panic. “A slow-moving vehicle stopped at a red light.
An explosion happened in that vehicle, and due to the explosion, nearby vehicles were also damaged,” said Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha, who confirmed the fatalities.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as mangled vehicles burned on the congested road. “I was at the metro station, going down the stairs, when I heard an explosion. I turned around and saw a fire. People started running helter-skelter,” said Suman Mishra, a commuter at the scene.
Another witness, Wali Ur Rehman, told news agency ANI that he was thrown off his seat by the force of the blast. “It was that intense,” he said.
At least six cars and three auto-rickshaws caught fire, according to Delhi’s deputy fire chief, as more than 30 ambulances and multiple fire trucks rushed to the scene. The area was quickly cordoned off after firefighters brought the blaze under control.
Local media reported that a former owner of the car, identified only as Salman, had been detained by police for questioning, though details remain unclear. Authorities have not yet determined whether the explosion was accidental or deliberate.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the victims’ families. “May the injured recover at the earliest. Those affected are being assisted by authorities,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
In response to the blast, major train stations across India, as well as Mumbai and the state of Uttar Pradesh, which borders Delhi, were placed on high alert. The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi also issued a security advisory, urging American citizens to avoid the Red Fort area and other crowded places frequented by tourists.
The Red Fort, a 17th-century Mughal-era landmark and UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of India’s most famous monuments. It serves as the site of the Prime Minister’s annual Independence Day address every August 15.
While Delhi has experienced several attacks in past decades, including a 2011 bomb outside the Delhi High Court that killed 12 people, major blasts in the city have been rare in recent years.
The federal home ministry, which oversees Delhi Police, said it is closely monitoring the investigation into the explosion. Security forces remain on heightened alert across the capital.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
