The centuries-old lanes around the Red Fort, usually echoing with the calls of vendors and the bustle of shoppers, fell into an unsettling silence on Tuesday morning, a day after a deadly blast ripped through the area, leaving behind a trail of destruction and human remains still scattered on the streets. The area, which typically teems with traffic and tourists, has now turned into a cordoned-off zone of mangled metal and shattered calm. Locals said they continued to spot human remains long after the explosion.
“When I was walking through the street, a piece of flesh got stuck to my slipper. I froze for a moment. It was horrifying. I have never witnessed anything like this before,” said local shopkeeper Umesh Rai, who also resides in Chandni Chowk.
Rai recalled that he was at his shop when the blast occurred. “It felt like an earthquake. The whole building shook. Within minutes, people began running in panic. I locked my shop and left,” he said.
Residents said that some body parts were flung into a Jain temple adjacent to the site, and they fear that there might be some parts on the terrace of their home or shop. “There might still be some remains on the rooftops as the intensity was huge,” said a local shopkeeper.
Large birds, including eagles, were seen circling over the area cordoned off throughout the morning as police and forensic teams continued their inspection.
Another resident, Sohail, said he found a finger near his shop early Tuesday.
“I immediately informed a police official, who came and collected it. It is painful to even imagine what happened here,” he said.
A walk through the area revealed shuttered shops and empty streets around Red Fort, a sharp contrast to the usual rush in the Chandni Chowk market.
“This is wedding season. Usually, you cannot find space to walk here,” said a shopkeeper who runs a bangle store nearby, adding, “I have been here for seven years and have never seen the market this silent. Since morning, I haven’t sold a single item.”
