At least thirteen people were killed in an explosion near the landmark Red Fort in a densely populated district of the Indian capital New Delhi, on Monday evening.
Security forces have been placed on high alert across major states and cities as authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the blast.
The powerful explosion near Gate number 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station, left multiple vehicles in flames and shattered window panes. The Delhi Fire Services received a call regarding the explosion around 7 pm.
According to Delhi Police, the explosion originated in a moving Hyundai i20 car.
“A slow-moving vehicle stopped at a red light. An explosion happened in that vehicle, and due to the explosion, nearby vehicles were also damaged,” Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha told reporters.
Images from the scene show shattered windows, mangled vehicles, and fire and smoke rising from burning cars.
Police later detained the original owner of the car, identified as Mohammad Salman, in Gurugram, Haryana. He bought the vehicle in 2013. Investigators said Salman had subsequently sold the vehicle to another man in New Delhi who in turn sold the car recently. The person Salman sold the car to has also been arrested. However, the car was still registered in Salman’s name and carried a Haryana number plate, according to local media reports.
Delhi Police have invoked India’s primary “counterterrorism” law, registering a case under Sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) along with provisions of the Explosives Act.
An eyewitness told ANI news agency after the explosion, “When we saw someone’s hand on the road, we were absolutely shocked. I can’t explain it in words”.
An auto driver who sustained injuries in the blast said, “The car in front of me was about two feet away. I don’t know whether there was a bomb in it or something else, but it exploded,” PTI news agency reported.
“I saw a huge fireball from my terrace, and came running down to see what happened. The explosion was very loud. My house is near the gurdwara,” a resident told NDTV.
The explosion occurred hours after police revealed they had arrested a Kashmiri doctor from Faridabad, also in Haryana, on charges of plotting a “terrorist” attack.
Haryana police said in a statement that they had found 2,900 kg of explosives, 20 timers, two dozen remote controls, a rifle and dozens of live rounds from the premises of the house where the doctor lived. Seven other people accused of helping the doctor were also arrested.
Indian authorities have so far not confirmed any link between the arrested doctor and the explosion on Monday.
Major train stations across India – including those in Mumbai, the country’s financial capital, and in Uttar Pradesh, which borders Delhi – have also been placed on high alert as a precautionary measure.
The Red Fort, also known as Lal Qila, is located in the congested Old Delhi area. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Delhi. The Red Fort also holds deep national importance because it was from its ramparts that India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, delivered an Independence Day speech on August 15, 1947, marking the end of British colonial rule.
(Agencies; Picture Courtesy: Reuters)
