After NCR arms cache, blast rips Delhi, 13 dead
A high-intensity explosion on Monday ripped through one of the busiest intersection in the Capital, near the Red Fort metro station, killing 13 people and injuring over two dozen people. The injured were rushed to the nearby Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) hospital.
The blast reportedly occurred in a parked vehicle gutting, at least, 25 four-wheelers parked nearby. It also shattered windows of vehicles parked several metres away. The explosion was heard at ITO, a few kilometres away.
Following the blast, Mumbai, Jaipur, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand were put on high alert.
“Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in the blast in Delhi earlier this evening. May the injured recover at the earliest. Those affected are being assisted by authorities. Reviewed the situation with Home Minister Amit Shah and other officials,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X.
The blast took place in a Hyundai I20 car at 6.52pm at the Subash Marg Red Light intersection, near Red Fort Metro Station. Police sources said the car was registered in the name of one Nadeem Khan and bore a Haryana number plate. Khan has been detained for questioning. The blast came hours after the recovery of around 360 kg of suspected ammonium nitrate and a cache of arms and ammunition from a Kashmiri doctor’s rented accommodation in Faridabad.
No terror outfit has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. “There was a blast around 6.52 pm in a slow-moving vehicle near Red Fort. There were passengers inside the vehicle,” Satish Golcha, Delhi Police commissioner, said. The police commissioner said all agencies, including the Delhi Police, forensic team, NIA, and NSG, are taking stock of the situation.
According to the medical superintendent at the LNJP Hospital, “Eight of them died before reaching the hospital. Three are seriously injured. One is in stable condition.” Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the LNJP hospital here to meet those injured in a blast near the Red Fort metro station on Monday evening.
According to Delhi Fire Service (DFS) officials, 10 fire tenders were rushed to the spot, with police cordoning off the area, the Delhi Fire Services said. The fire, officials said, was brought under control by 7.29 pm.
Police are scanning CCTV footage to determine the route of the vehicle before the blast occurred. They are questioning locals and asking eyewitnesses to share information about any suspicious activity in the lead-up to the incident. Mobile dump data are being gathered, and dossiers of suspected terrorists are being scanned.
