Panic and chaos gripped the heart of the national capital on Monday evening after a powerful explosion tore through a car parked near the Red Fort, leaving at least eight people dead and dozens injured while setting several nearby vehicles ablaze.
Police have placed the city on high alert as teams from the Anti-Terror Squad and Delhi Police Special Cell reached the site to investigate the cause of the blast. Seven fire tenders were rushed to the scene as flames and thick smoke engulfed the area.
According to officials from the Delhi Fire Services, “The blast occurred in a car parked near Red Fort Metro Station gate number 1. The intensity was quite high. Injuries are feared.” The explosion was so forceful that it shattered windows of vehicles parked several metres away and was heard across the congested locality.
‘It felt like we were all going to die’
Eyewitnesses described scenes of devastation and confusion immediately after the explosion. “When we saw someone's hand on the road, we were absolutely shocked. I can't explain it in words...” said a local to ANI. Another resident recalled the horrifying sight that followed. “When we came near, we saw body parts spread on the road. No one could figure out what happened. Several cars have been damaged...” he said.
A shopkeeper near the site said the impact was so strong that it knocked him off his feet. “I never heard such a loud explosion ever in my life. I fell three times due to the explosion. It felt as if we were all going to die...” he told ANI, adding that people initially thought it was a gas cylinder blast before realising the scale of destruction.
Local resident Rajdhar Pandey, who lives near the Red Fort, said he could see the flames from his house. “I saw the flames from my house and then came down to see what had happened. There was a loud explosion. I live nearby,” Pandey told ANI.
Another eyewitness, who was at a nearby gurdwara when the explosion occurred, described the sheer power of the blast. “I was at the gurdwara when I heard a strong sound. We couldn’t make out what it was, it was that loud,” he said. “A number of vehicles nearby were completely damaged.”
A shop owner in the vicinity said the explosion sent tremors through nearby buildings. “I had come here to buy something when I heard a huge blast. The whole shop trembled. Several people were injured, and many were being taken away from the spot soon after,” he said.
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