Continue to closely monitor situation: US State Department on Red Fort explosion

New York/Washington: Expressing condolences over the deadly explosion near the Red Fort in Delhi, the US said it continues to closely monitor the situation.

"Our hearts are with those affected by the terrible explosion in New Delhi. We continue to closely monitor the situation. Our sincere condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured,” the State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs said in a post on X Monday.

The US Department of State’s Consular Affairs, in a “security alert”, said that “while the cause of the explosion is unknown at this time, the Government of India has placed several Indian states on high alert.” In its security alert, the US Embassy in Delhi advised its citizens to avoid the areas surrounding the Red Fort and Chandni Chowk in Delhi, avoiding crowds and monitoring local media for updates. It advised US citizens to be aware of their surroundings and to stay alert in locations frequented by tourists.

Earlier, a State Department spokesperson had told PTI, “We are aware of the explosion near Red Fort in Delhi. We are closely monitoring the situation and stand ready to provide consular assistance.”

The high-intensity explosion ripped through a slow-moving car at a traffic signal near the Red Fort metro station on Monday evening, killing at least nine people and gutting several vehicles, officials said.

Twenty people, including two women, were injured in the blast that took place on a busy evening when the area was milling with people. The injured were taken to the LNJP Hospital, a few kilometres away.

Police said that the car, in which the blast took place, had three occupants, adding that they are also probing if it was a suicide bomber attack. "The blast occurred in a moving Hyundai i20 car in which three people were sitting. We have not found any pellet or puncture in the body of the injured, which is unusual in a blast. We are investigating all angles,” a senior police officer said.