A rare explosion near the iconic Red Fort in Delhi, India's capital, on Monday evening (November 10) killed at least eight people and injured 20. The explosion set several cars and tricycles on fire, causing chaos and prompting authorities to issue a high alert for many parts of the country.
The explosion occurred at approximately 6:50 p.m. local time on a busy street in Delhi's Old City, near a metro station. Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha stated, "A slow-moving vehicle stopped at a red light, and then the explosion occurred, affecting other vehicles in the vicinity." Several charred bodies and vehicle wreckage were scattered on the street, and police quickly cordoned off the area and dispersed onlookers.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on the social media platform X and wished the injured a speedy recovery, saying, "Government agencies are assisting all those affected." The U.S. Embassy in India also issued a security alert, urging U.S. citizens to avoid the area around the Red Fort and other crowded places.
According to local media NDTV, a man named Salman who once owned the vehicle that exploded has been arrested by police. Interior Minister Amit Shah stated that all possible directions of the investigation have been launched, and that "security agencies will clarify the truth as soon as possible."
The Red Fort, a 17th-century building from the Mughal Empire, is highly symbolic, as the Indian Prime Minister delivers his annual Independence Day speech there. The area was repeatedly targeted by Islamist militants and the Punjab separatist Khaliist movement during the 1980s and 1990s.
