A high-intensity explosion in a car near the Red Fort on Monday evening killed at least eight people and injured 24 others, gutting several vehicles and triggering panic in the busy area. The Delhi Police have detained the car’s owner, Md Salman, in Haryana’s Gurugram as part of the ongoing investigation, news agency PTI reported, quoting officials.
According to the police, the blast occurred around 7 pm in a moving Hyundai i20 car near the Subhash Marg Traffic Signal close to the Red Fort Metro Station. The explosion was so powerful that flames engulfed nearby vehicles, and window panes in the vicinity were shattered.
“Delhi Police along with Gurugram Police detained Md Salman on Monday and are questioning him about the car. He had sold it to a person in Okhla named Devendra. Later, the vehicle was again sold to someone in Ambala, and police are tracing those individuals,” a senior police officer said.
The car, registered in Salman’s name, bore a Haryana number plate, PTI reported, quoting officials.
“The blast occurred in a moving Hyundai i20 car in which three people were sitting. We have not found any pellets or punctures in the bodies of the injured, which is unusual in a bomb blast. We are investigating all angles,” the officer said.
Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha confirmed that there were occupants in the vehicle when the explosion occurred. A high alert has been sounded across the capital, with security tightened at border points and vehicle checking intensified.
Meanwhile, in the wake of the explosion, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has placed all installations under its protection in Delhi-NCR — including Delhi Metro, the Red Fort, government buildings, and the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport — on high alert.
“In the wake of the explosion in a vehicle near Red Fort Metro Station, installations secured by CISF in the National Capital Region (NCR) including Delhi Metro, Red Fort, government buildings, and IGI Airport have been placed on high alert. The situation is being constantly monitored and personnel are on standby,” the CISF said in a statement.
Following the incident, 10 fire tenders were rushed to the spot, and the blaze was brought under control by 7.29 pm, according to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS). The injured were taken to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital, located a few kilometres away.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the hospital later in the night to meet the injured and held a review meeting with Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha and senior officials. Shah said teams from the Delhi Crime Branch, Special Branch, National Security Guard (NSG), National Investigation Agency (NIA), and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) were conducting a thorough probe.
“We are exploring all possibilities and will conduct a thorough investigation. All options will be investigated immediately and results will be presented to the public,” Shah said.
Police officials said multiple agencies are coordinating to determine the cause of the explosion, and whether there was any terror link.
(With PTI inputs)