Police personnel at the spot; Flames rise after a blast occurred in a parked car near Red Fort, leaving multiple vehicles in flames, in New Delhi.
Credit: PTI Photos
A major blast took place in a parked car near Red Fort Metro Station, according to Delhi Fire Services. The blast took place in a Hyundai i20 car and Delhi Police have detained the owner of the vehicle.
The car reportedly had three occupants, and the police is probing if it was a suicide bomber attack.
9 killed, 20 injured
The explosion killed nine people and 20 have been injured. According to preliminary reports, eight persons were declared dead, the toll overnight increased to nine.
News agency PTI reported that 20 people, including 2 women, were injured in the blast, adding that the injured were taken to the LNJP Hospital, a few kilometres away.
High alert
A high alert has been sounded in Delhi and a few other parts of the country.
Major cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru have been put on high alert after the explosion in the national capital. Red alert has also been sounded in Punjab. "In the wake of the blast in New Delhi, a red alert has been sounded across all districts in the state of Punjab," a Punjab police department spokesperson informed PTI.
Govt, police look into situation
According to PTI, Delhi Police chief Satish Golcha said that the explosion happened in a slow moving vehicle near the Red Fort traffic signal around 6.52 pm, where occupants were also present.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is being briefed about situation, Delhi Police chief Golcha said.
Government sources have said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took stock of the situation in Delhi and is also speaking to Amit Shah.
Shah spoke to Delhi police chief, Director of IB to take stock of situation and has also directed chiefs of NIA, NSG, forensic sciences to rush teams to assist in the investigation to collect evidence, according to sources.
Chandni Chowk market will stay closed on Tuesday following the blast, market association president Sanjay Bhargaw said, according to PTI.
Car details; who owned it?
The car involved in the incident was Hyundai i20 with registration number HR 26 CE 7674.
According to details revealed by the Gurugram Police, the white 2023 model car was originally registered in the name of local resident Salman, after which it was sold to a man named Devender, who has been detained.
While the car was sold by Salman, it was learned that the buyer had not changed the registration. Devendra is learnt to have sold it to someone in Haryana's Ambala further.
A report by CNN News 18 mentioned that the car was later sold to one Nadeem Khan from whom it was purchased by one Tariq from Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir.
Eyewitnesses speak about 'deafening' explosion
Eyewitnesses shared that the deadly explosion, heard over a wide area up to ITO, covering around two kms, was deafening and they were unable to hear anything clearly after several minutes.
Sanjay Bhargaw, whose shop is within a kilometre radius from the incident site, said an entire building shook due to the blast and there was chaos in the Chadini Chowk market as people started running in fear.
Another witness was at a nearby gurdwara when the incident unfolded. "I was at the gurdwara when I heard a loud sound. We were dumbfounded. A number of vehicles were completely damaged."
Leaders express grief
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta condoled the loss of lives and appealed to people to maintain calm and avoid rumours. Calling the incident "extremely distressing and alarming", Gupta expressed her deepest sympathies to those who lost their loved ones.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the loss of lives in the blast and prayed to Lord Ram to grant peace to the departed souls. Adityanath tweeted, “The loss of lives in the unfortunate blast in Delhi today is extremely tragic. My condolences are with the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones prematurely.”
"Anguished by the loss of lives in the tragic car blast in New Delhi. My heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. Praying for the swift recovery of the injured," BJP president and Union Health Minister J P Nadda wrote on X.
Several other leaders acknowledged the high-intensity explosion in Delhi.
(With PTI inputs)