Delhi blast | Cautious locals, deserted alleys: Chandni Chowk a day after explosion

New Delhi: As people woke up on Tuesday morning to the aftermath of a massive blast in the historic Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi, the Walled City wore a deserted look. The road leading up to the blast site, which lies exactly opposite to the Red Fort, was cordoned off, with a heavy police presence.

While personnel from other security agencies like the Forensic Lab were stationed in the area, the shutters were down in shops, entire alleyways of shops were locked and the subway was shut down.

Watchmaker Sushil Garg, whose shop is situated behind the Digambar Jain temple which is a few metres from the blast site, said that he was tending to a customer when the blast rocked the area.

“Suddenly the blast took place; it was 6:15pm on the watches here, and the customer ran away. People ran helter and skelter and I saw a massive cloud of smoke rise up. Lots of policemen took over the place and we left for home in some time through the back alleys as the main roads were shut,” Garg said.

On Monday evening, a massive blast by a slow-moving i20 took place at the intersection where the historic Chandni Chowk meets the iconic Red Fort. Right across the street is the Digambar Jain temple, and on the road leading inside the Chandni Chowk lane is the Gauri Shankar temple.

Shopkeeper Satish says that he was standing outside the shop, which is next to the Gauri Shankar temple when the blast took place. “We saw some body parts fall as far as the temple,” he said, adding that many shopkeepers were afraid to open the shops.

Ved Pal, a pushkart seller, who was near the blast site said that he ran after the blast took place. “I saw cars on fire as I ran for my life, and I saw some people on fire. It was scary,” he says.

While the Red Fort area remained cordoned off, by early evening, the Chandni Chowk area saw some brisk activity, with people coming in from the back alleys of Jama Masjid via Daribha Kalan. Mohammad Riyaz said that he ventured out as his child was adamant about buying a bicycle. Iconic shops like the Natraj Bhalle seller, the various bridal wear shops and the Chandni Chowk Haldiram’s were all open by later afternoon.