At least eight individuals lost their lives in a vehicle explosion close to the iconic Red Fort in a densely populated region of New Delhi, as per a statement from a police representative. The cause of the blast, a rare occurrence in the heavily guarded city with a population exceeding 30 million, is under investigation, stated police spokesperson Sanjay Tyagi. Following the incident, India’s financial hub, Mumbai, and the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, which shares a border with Delhi, heightened their security measures.
Reports from TV channels indicated that around 20 people sustained injuries in the explosion, prompting swift ambulance responses to the location. The area near a metro station in the old quarter of New Delhi displayed scenes of mangled bodies and several damaged vehicles, as law enforcement officers secured the vicinity and dispersed onlookers.
Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha disclosed that the explosion occurred minutes before 7 p.m. local time. He described the incident where a slow-moving vehicle stopped at a red light and experienced an explosion, causing damage to nearby vehicles. Federal and state investigative bodies are present at the site, with Federal Home Minister Amit Shah receiving an update on the situation, Golcha further mentioned.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his condolences to the affected families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured individuals. He shared that authorities were providing assistance to those impacted and that he had evaluated the situation with Shah and other officials.
Following the explosion, at least six vehicles and three auto-rickshaws caught fire, as reported by Delhi’s deputy fire chief, who confirmed that firefighting teams had extinguished the flames. Eyewitness Suman Mishra recounted hearing the explosion at the metro station and witnessing the ensuing chaos. The area was heavily populated with ambulances and cordoned off after the fire was contained, with remnants of damaged vehicles visible and crowds gathered in the vicinity.
The Red Fort, also known as Lal Qila, is a historical Mughal-era structure blending Persian and Indian architectural influences, drawing tourists year-round. The fort serves as the venue for the prime minister’s annual Independence Day address on August 15. Delhi has experienced past bombing incidents during the 1980s and 1990s, attributed to Islamist militants or separatists from Punjab. The city last witnessed a major explosion in 2011 outside the Delhi High Court, resulting in approximately a dozen fatalities.