According to senior Delhi Police officers, the car had two to three occupants when it exploded.
A massive explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday evening killed at least eight people and injured 24 others. The blast occurred inside a moving i20 car near the Red Fort Metro Station, creating panic in the busy area and triggering a massive fire. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that all possible angles are being examined in the case. “All possible angles are being probed,” Shah confirmed, adding that the vehicle involved in the incident was an i20 car.
Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha said that a “slow-moving vehicle stopped at the red light” near the Red Fort around 6:52 pm. “An explosion happened in that vehicle, and due to the explosion, nearby vehicles were also damaged. All agencies, FSL, NIA, are here...” Golcha said.
He added that the situation is being closely monitored. “Union home minister Amit Shah also contacted the cops, and information is being shared with him regularly,” Golcha said.
The explosion triggered a fire that gutted multiple vehicles in the area. Fire tenders reached the spot and brought the situation under control within an hour. Eyewitnesses said they heard a loud explosion and saw smoke filling the air around the metro station.
Following the explosion, security agencies sounded a high alert across the national capital. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) said that all key installations secured by the force, including the Delhi Metro, Indira Gandhi International Airport, and government buildings, have been placed under heightened security.
“The situation is being constantly monitored and personnel are on standby,” the CISF said in an official statement.
Meanwhile, police and National Investigation Agency (NIA) teams are collecting forensic evidence from the explosion site. Officials said there is no crater on the road and no pellet or splinter injuries, which are usually found in bomb explosions.
According to senior Delhi Police officers, the car had two to three occupants when it exploded. The vehicle was completely mangled after the blast. Forensic teams have been deployed to collect samples and identify what triggered the explosion.
Emergency responders said they reached the site within minutes. “When I reached there, I saw 4-5 bodies. We collected them, took them to the hospital. The time when the blast happened, we got information in 7-8 minutes, we rushed the ambulances,” an ambulance driver told PTI.
Residents and shopkeepers in the Chandni Chowk area said the explosion was so powerful that nearby buildings shook. “The blast was so loud that it felt like an earthquake,” said Sanjay Bhargaw, president of the Chandni Chowk Traders’ Association.
As a precaution, the Chandni Chowk market will remain closed on Tuesday. “The market will stay shut on Tuesday following the blast near Red Fort Monday evening,” Bhargaw said.
Officials said the investigation is ongoing, and further details will be shared once forensic results are available.
