Red Fort blast leaves 10 dead, 24 injured; high alert sounded in Delhi
A powerful explosion ripped through a car parked near Delhi’s historic Red Fort on Monday evening, killing at least ten people and injuring 24 others, according to official sources.
The blast occurred outside Gate No. 1 of the Lal Quila Metro Station, one of the busiest areas of Old Delhi, triggering panic among tourists and commuters. Several vehicles caught fire as the impact sent flames and debris flying across the street.
“I saw body parts lying on the road. The fire spread rapidly, and several cars were burning,” an eyewitness told NDTV.
Visuals from the scene showed extensive damage, with at least three cars completely charred and windows of nearby vehicles shattered by the force of the blast. Residents said they heard a loud explosion and saw a “huge fireball” rise into the night sky.
“The explosion was so loud that my house trembled. From my terrace, I saw a massive blaze near the gurdwara,” said a local resident of Purani Dilli.
Rescue and emergency response
The Delhi Fire Services dispatched at least seven fire tenders after receiving a call at 7:05 PM, while police and ambulances rushed to evacuate the injured. Metro entry and exit gates 1 and 4 at Lal Quila Station were temporarily sealed, though services continued across the rest of the network.
“The explosion ignited three to four vehicles in the vicinity. Firefighters and rescue teams are on the spot,” said an official from the Fire Department.
High alert across Delhi, Mumbai, and Uttar Pradesh
Following the blast, authorities sounded a high alert across Delhi, with security tightened in Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh as well. The Delhi Police’s Special Cell cordoned off the area and began forensic examination of the car believed to have been the epicenter of the explosion.
Preliminary reports suggest the vehicle involved was a Swift Dzire. An injured auto driver told PTI, “The car in front of me was about two feet away. I don’t know whether it had a bomb or something else, but it suddenly exploded.”
Possible terror link under probe
Investigators are probing whether the incident has any link to the recently busted terror module in Faridabad, where police recovered 300 kg of RDX, an AK-47 rifle, and ammunition last week. Eight suspects, including three doctors, were arrested in that operation, which officials said had connections to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind networks.
Officials said that although no group has claimed responsibility for the Red Fort explosion yet, the proximity to the national capital’s key heritage zone and the magnitude of the blast have prompted anti-terror agencies to join the investigation.
Security agencies are reviewing CCTV footage from the area, while forensic experts are examining debris to determine the type of explosives used.
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