A powerful car explosion occurred near Delhi’s iconic Red Fort on Tuesday evening, killing at least eight people and injuring 20 others in what authorities are treating as a major security incident.
Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha claimed that the explosion took place at approximately 6.52 PM local time as a slow-moving Hyundai i20 was stopped at a red traffic light and which easily burst. There were three occupants of the car at the time of the accident.
Delhi City police spokesperson Sanjay Tyagi confirmed the number of deaths to the BBC and stated that investigators were examining multiple possibilities to determine the cause of the blast. The accident occurred when the vehicle was in motion, and it was close to a metro station beside a historic Mughal fortress.
Image Credit: Sky News
The scenes of utter anarchy were witnessed by a local businessman who was on the ground and witnessed what transpired, Veeru Sindhi. Bodies were scattered across the site, as well as vehicles were blowing up into fire. Other bystanders and Sindhis arrived to save people who were trapped in burning cars.
“I am fully shaken by what I have seen,” Sindhi told the BBC. “We tried to rescue people who were trapped inside the vehicles.”
A second witness who was at a couple of hundred meters distance heard the explosion that was deafening and told about the following moments as being totally disorienting. It all seemed to stop briefly, and then people started running in all directions. He was able to view mangled car parts that were on fire at a distance as local people scrambled to rescue the injured.
The Red Fort is home to thousands of visitors a day, and is the location where the Indian prime ministers give their Independence Day speeches. The landmark of the 17th century is one of the most important historical sites in Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to those who lost their family members in the tragedy. In a press release, the opposition leader Rahul Gandhi described the news as very heartbreaking.
Image credit: NPR
According to Federal Home Minister Amit Shah, various agencies are investigating the incident, including the National Security Guard and National Investigation Agency teams. Forensic professionals are hired.
After visiting the point of the blast and a local hospital, Shah said: “We are investigating all the possibilities and will thoroughly investigate them, considering all possibilities”. He affirmed that the top-tier officers will hold a meeting on Wednesday morning.
The authorities have put Mumbai on high alert following the explosion. The Uttar Pradesh state, which borders Delhi, has also stepped up its security operations.
Senior Uttar Pradesh police officer Amitabh Yash said the security forces were putting up patrols in religious sites and vulnerable districts and open borders in the state, which is the populated and densely populated state. Some of the best landmarks are found in UP, including the Taj Mahal.
The blast site has been encircled by heavy security personnel. The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad, National Security Guard and Central reserve police force personnel have been deployed to the area. The investigation is still going on, with armed officers still entering the place.
The cause of the explosion remains unidentified to investigators, but they claim to be looking at all angles. The investigation is still in its infancy, with the police striving to assemble some pieces of evidence on what led to the fatal explosion in one of the busiest localities in Delhi.
