India’s capital is on edge after a car explosion ripped through a popular Delhi neighborhood on Monday, killing at least 10 people and injuring many others.
The blast took place near the city’s iconic Red Fort, also known as the Lal Qila, a 17th century monument and a symbol of India’s independence. The area, a major tourist hub known for its crowded bazaars and street vendors, was immediately thrown into chaos.
The incident is a rare occurrence for the sprawling metropolis of more than 30 million people.
Footage of the aftermath on local television showed thick, orange flames billowing into the pitch-black sky. Video showed vehicles badly charred and damaged. One man could be seen bleeding from his forehead.
The cause of the blast is not yet known, and the Indian government is yet to say whether the incident was deliberate.
Delhi police are investigating the case under various sections of India’s anti-terror law, North Delhi deputy commissioner of police, Raja Banthia, told CNN.
More than 30 other people were “badly injured” in the blast, said Dr. Manish Kumar Jha, a physician at the local Lok Nayak Hospital. “Many are not in a position of recovering,” he told reporters.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to the relatives of those killed. “May the injured recover at the earliest,” he said in a post on X.
Home Minister Amit Shah visited the site of the attack and met the victims at the hospital.
“Top agencies are investigating the incident with full intensity, and will go in-depth into the incident,” he wrote on X.
What happened?
Before the explosion, a “slow-moving” vehicle “came to a stop” near a red light around 6:42 p.m. local time, Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha told reporters.
“An explosion occurred in that vehicle. The passengers in the vehicle and people in surrounding vehicles were impacted,” Golcha said.
At least six vehicles and three autorickshaws were set on fire, Reuters reported, citing Delhi’s deputy fire chief.
Emergency crews then arrived at the scene and extinguished the blaze – after receiving a call at 6:55 p.m. local time, Sumit Kumar, a Delhi fire services official, told CNN. Survivors were taken to a nearby hospital.
Residents recalled hearing a loud bang in the neighborhood.
“We heard a big sound. Our windows shook,” one resident who did not give a name told Indian broadcaster NDTV, according to Reuters.
An ambulance driver said he could “only find bodies” when they reached the site of the blast.
“The bodies were in parts, and we had to pick different parts and bring them back in the ambulances, and later brought them to the hospital,” he told local news agency ANI.
One man said his nephew, an e-rickshaw driver, died in the blast. His family tried calling him late Monday but couldn’t get through.
“When we came here, we had to identify the body,” he told ANI.
Relatives of the casualties could be seen weeping outside a local hospital.
India on edge
The ripple effect from Monday’s blast has been felt across India.
Airports, railway stations, government buildings and heritage sites across the country have been put on high alert, according to the Central Industrial Security Force. The US embassy in New Delhi is advising Americans to avoid the surrounding area as well as large crowds.
The states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, which neighbors Delhi, has also been put on high alert, according to police.
Security arrangements “of important establishments, religious sites, crowded places, and other sensitive points” will be reviewed, Uttar Pradesh police wrote on X. The state, India’s most populous, is home to the Taj Mahal and other major tourist attractions.
Haryana’s head of police, OP Singh, urged residents to “remain calm” and report any “suspicious person or unclaimed object” in a post on X.
The northwestern state of Rajasthan is also on high alert, its police department said on X.
In the financial capital of Mumbai, train stations have been put on high alert, Reuters reported, citing authorities.
Historic monument
The Red Fort stands as one of India’s most significant historical landmarks.
Originally built by Emperor Shah Jahan as the palace-fort of his capital, it served as the main residence of Mughal emperors for nearly 200 years. Located in the heart of Old Delhi, the fort is located just a few kilometers from the Parliament of India.
Today, it attracts thousands of daily visitors and holds immense symbolic value for the nation; its ramparts are where Indian prime ministers deliver their annual Independence Day speeches.
While Monday’s blast is considered rare, Delhi has experienced blasts in previous decades, in which public areas, such as bus depots and crowded markets, were targeted.
In 2001, India’s parliament was attacked by gunmen, killing more than a dozen people
About 12 people were killed outside the Delhi High Court in a briefcase explosion in 2011.
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