A car explosion outside the historic Red Fort Monument in Delhi has killed at least eight people and started a fire in the surrounding area, according to police.
The cause of the explosion, which occurred just before 7pm local time (1330 GMT) on Monday night, is being investigated. The registered owner of the car has reportedly been taken into custody for questioning.
Police said a slow-moving car stopped at a red light just outside the Red Port Fort Metro Station before the blast. “An explosion took place in that car, and due to the explosion, the nearby vehicles were also damaged,” said Delhi Police Commissioner, Satish Golcha.
Several fire engines and ambulances rushed to the scene after the explosion. Footage on Indian TV News Channels showed the chaos of the Afterariath, including a car with its doors blown off, mumbling bodies and people screaming in terror. More than a dozen other cars, rickshaws and motorcycles were blackened and burnt by the fire caused by the explosion.
A Witness told NDTV The force of the explosion sent shock waves through nearby buildings. “A man’s body was torn apart. I saw a hand on the road,” he said. “It was a very powerful explosion.”
Golcha confirmed at least eight people were killed and 20 injured. “The situation is being monitored. We are investigating the incident and will update you soon,” he added.
India’s home affairs minister, Amit Shah, said it was “difficult to say what caused the incident until the samples taken from the Blast site are analysed”.
As he traveled to the blast site, Shah added: “We are not considering any angle as closed. We will explore all angles with determination.”
In a post on X, the prime minister, Narendra Modi, said he was assessing Shah’s condition. “Thanks to those who lost their loved ones in the explosion in Delhi earlier tonight. May the injured recover at the earliest. Those affected are being helped by the authorities,” he said.
The red fort, known as Lal Qila, is located in a highly congested area of Delhi in India that is usually dense with people, food trucks and vehicles and is a popular tourist destination.
A vast palace of the Mughal Palace, the fort is one of the most important monuments in India. The Prime Minister makes an annual address on the ramparts of the fort on Independence day and it features on the nation’s banknotes.
The city of Mumbai in Maharashtra has been put on “Caution” alert after the red wall blast. In the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh, it has been issued to increase the security of religious places and sensitive border areas and also on alert in the states of Haryana and Punjab.