High-intensity car explosion near Red Fort revives memories of 2000 terror attack

Delhi blast: Security personnel at the spot after a blast occurred in a parked car near Red Fort, leaving multiple vehicles in flames, in New Delhi

A powerful explosion ripped through a car near Delhi’s Red Fort Metro Station on Monday evening, killing at least eight people and injuring 24 others, officials said. The high-intensity blast, which occurred on a busy stretch bustling with evening crowds, gutted several vehicles and sent shockwaves across the area.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as the explosion shattered windowpanes of nearby shops and buildings. “I was at the gurdwara when I heard a strong sound. We couldn’t make out what it was, it was that loud,” said one resident.

Another shopkeeper recalled the force of the blast. “I had come here to buy something when I heard a huge blast. The whole shop trembled,” he said. “Several people were injured, and many were being taken away from the spot soon after.”

Manoj, a pani puri vendor from nearby Jama Masjid, said he felt the explosion from nearly a kilometre away. “I was having food when we suddenly felt the blast in our chests — it was massive,” he said. “I rushed here and saw people screaming, some lying motionless. There was an autorickshaw driver injured badly; he was taken to hospital.”

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Bhupinder Singh, who was driving a loading vehicle near the site, said the explosion took place just as the traffic light turned green. “We were moving slowly when the blast happened. The window glass shattered, and we ran towards the market. It was very crowded, nobody knew what was happening,” he recalled. Singh added, “We saw body parts of two or three men blown to pieces.”

Another eyewitness, Irfan, described the devastation: “We saw severed hands, fingers, and even the steering wheel of a car blown off. There were handcart pullers and taxi drivers caught in the blast — some of them didn’t survive.”

Videos circulating on social media showed panicked locals shouting “Bomb phat gaya!” and “Kata hua haath hai!” as flames engulfed vehicles near the Red Fort.

According to officials, the explosion occurred in a car parked near Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station. “The intensity was quite high. Injuries are feared,” said a senior Delhi Fire Service officer.

Ten fire tenders were deployed to douse the blaze, which was brought under control by 7:29 p.m. Police and anti-terror squads cordoned off the area soon after, as forensic teams began collecting samples from the charred wreckage.

A high alert has been sounded across the capital, with Delhi Police’s Special Cell and the NSG teams investigating the cause of the explosion.

Terror Attack in Red Fort

This is not the first time the Red Fort,  a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of India’s most prominent landmarks , has been the scene of violence. On December 22, 2000, two intruders stormed the Red Fort complex and opened indiscriminate fire, killing two Army personnel of the 7 Rajputana Rifles and a civilian chowkidar of the Army Service Corps.

The police investigation later revealed that the attackers were linked to the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). One suspect was arrested soon after, while another was killed in an encounter with Delhi Police. The Red Fort attack was seen as a direct strike on the symbol of Indian sovereignty — the same site from where the Prime Minister addresses the nation every Independence Day.

Security agencies had since tightened surveillance.