Eight people were killed and 19 injured when a car exploded in the “heavily congested” Old Delhi area, near the historic Red Fort. The incident on Monday evening turned a busy street, usually “heaving with people, food stalls and vehicles,” into a scene of fiery destruction and panic. The high casualty count reflects the crowded nature of the location.
The blast occurred at a red light just outside the Red Fort metro station. Police Commissioner Satish Golcha confirmed that a car had stopped at the signal when it exploded. The force of the detonation was strong enough to ignite a fire that consumed more than a dozen other vehicles, including cars and rickshaws, that were waiting in traffic.
Dozens of fire engines and ambulances were rushed to the scene. The 19 injured individuals were extricated from the chaos and transported to a government hospital. Witnesses provided harrowing testimony. One resident, Om Prakash Gupta, ran from his home to find “vehicles on fire” and “body parts all over,” including a body on a car’s windscreen.
The investigation is being treated with the utmost seriousness by the federal government. Home Minister Amit Shah, who controls the Delhi Police, visited the site. He stated that the cause is not yet known and “all angles” are being probed. The registered owner of the car has reportedly been detained.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered his condolences. In the wake of the incident, authorities have placed Mumbai, the state of Uttar Pradesh, and major train stations on high alert, as the nation grapples with this tragedy.
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