Rescue work underway after a blast occurred in a parked car near Red Fort, in New Delhi.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: At least eight persons were killed and around two dozen people injured in a high intensity explosion in a “slow-moving” car near the iconic Red Fort in the national capital, as investigators looked for clues to ascertain whether the blast has any terror links.
Home Minister Amit Shah, who visited the spot and the hospital where the injured were getting treated, said in a video message that “all possibilities will be thoroughly probed and the people (will) be informed” about the details of the blast that took place in an i20 Hyundai car at Subhash Marg traffic signal.
Shah said CCTV footage from the vicinity will be collected and other aspects would be looked into very seriously. “All options will be investigated immediately and we will present the results to the public,” Shah said.
Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha told reporters that the incident took place when a “slow-moving” vehicle with passengers moving towards the traffic signal exploded at 6:52 PM. When asked whether it was a terror strike, Golcha said they were “examining” the nature of the explosion.
The national capital had witnessed a terror strike last on 7 September, 2011 when 14 people were killed in an explosion at the Delhi High Court. Delhi also witnessed serial blasts on 13 September, 2008 in which 25 people were killed and 150 injured.
Panic and chaos reigned the crowded locality that is near the Chandni Chowk market and Jama Masjid as the car went on flames. The explosion was so powerful that it shattered windows of vehicles parked metres away while the sound of the blast was heard at ITO, which is 4 km away from the spot.
A video shared by the Chandni Chowk Traders’ Association showed a body could be seen lying on a vehicle while another showed a mangled body on the road. Eyewitnesses said body parts could be seen scattered near the blast site.
Officials said the incident near the Gate No 1 of the Red Fort Metro station led to other four-wheelers and rickshaws catching fire in which several people got injured and rushed to nearby Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital where at least eight people were declared dead. Twenty-four people were injured.
Shah briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the incident besides speaking to Golcha and other top anti-terror unit officials in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and National Security Guards (NSG), which has the expertise in post-blast examination.
Delhi Police’s anti-terror unit Special Cell, forensic unit, dog squad, NIA and NSG personnel rushed to the spot. More than a dozen fire tenders were rushed to the spot with officials saying at least 20 vehicles were damaged in the incident.
Immediately after the blast, Delhi was put on high alert even as police remained tight-lipped about the nature of the explosion. The explosion came hours after huge quantities of ammonium nitrate were recovered from Faridabad, a satellite town of Delhi.
Surveillance has been enhanced at Delhi's border with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh as well as at railway stations, bus stations and Delhi Metro premises among other vital installations.