Eight killed in car explosion near Red Fort in Delhi, India

• Railway stations, Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh on alert.
• The explosion occurred in a vehicle stopped at a red light.
• At least 20 injured, adjacent vehicles caught fire.

At least eight people were killed and 20 injured on Monday when a car exploded near the historic Red Fort in India’s capital Delhi, police said, a rare explosion in the heavily guarded city of more than 30 million people.

Major railway stations across India, the financial capital Mumbai and the state of Uttar Pradesh, which borders Delhi, were all put on high alert, authorities said.

“All angles” are being investigated and the security agencies will come to a conclusion soon, federal home minister Amit Shah said.

A previous owner of the car, identified only as Salman, was arrested after the blast, NDTV mentioned, without going into further details. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

The car stopped at a red light

Mutilated bodies and the wreckage of several cars were seen on a crowded street near a metro station in Delhi’s old quarter as police rushed to the area to secure it and push back crowds.

“A slow moving vehicle stopped at a red light. An explosion occurred in that vehicle and due to the explosion, nearby vehicles were also damaged,” Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha told reporters.

He said the explosion occurred just before 7 p.m. (1330 GMT).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to those who lost their loved ones.

“May the injured get a speedy recovery. Those affected are getting help from the authorities,” Modi posted on X.

At least six vehicles and three auto-rickshaws caught fire, Delhi’s deputy fire chief said.

“Heavy Blast”

People near the scene described hearing a loud explosion.

“I was at the metro station, going down the stairs, when I heard an explosion. I turned around and saw a fire. People started running for shelter,” said one woman, Suman Mishra.

Wali Ur Rehman said he was sitting in his shop. “I fell from the impact of the explosion, it was so intense,” he told the news agency ANIin which Reuters has a minority stake.

About 30 to 40 ambulances were near the scene of the explosion and the entire area was cordoned off after the fire was extinguished. Reuters said the reporter.

The US embassy in Delhi has issued a security alert to its citizens, asking them to avoid crowds and areas around the Red Fort and to remain alert in places frequented by tourists.

The Red Fort, known locally as Lal Qila, is a sprawling 17th-century Mughal-era structure that combines Persian and Indian architectural styles and is visited by tourists throughout the year.