Panic and chaos took over Delhi as the city was ripped by a powerful car explosion near the historic Red Fort, killing at least 8 people and injuring several others.
The blast took place during rush hour in the evening, around 6:52 pm on Monday, leaving the city streets in debris. A white-colored Hyundai i20 car stopped by the traffic signal on Netaji Subhash Chandra Marg near the Red Fort. As the blast hit the car, the blaze spread rapidly over to at least six cars, two e-rickshaws, an auto-rickshaw, and a bus.
Following the blast, security has been tightened all over the country as a precaution. High alerts have been issued for Mumbai, Pune, and the NCR region. Patrols and checks have also been increased in government buildings, metro stations, airports, and crowded markets of major cities. ASI has also shut the Red Fort for visitors for the next three days. The Lal Qila Metro Station has been closed too.
A strict investigation is already active in the Red Fort blast case. Two previous owners of the Hyundai i20 car have been detained to trace its ownership and find out how it reached the blast site. The last buyer hasn't been found yet. Minutes before the explosion, a masked man was seen driving the vehicle.
Home Minister Amit Shah stated that authorities are trying to figure out what led to the explosion. He said, "We are exploring all possibilities and will conduct a thorough investigation, taking all possibilities into account. Specialised teams from the Delhi Police Crime Branch, Special Cell, NSG, NIA, and FSL reached the scene within 10 minutes."
Shah will also chair a high-level security review meeting at Kartavya Bhawan at 11 am on Tuesday. It will be joined by the Union Home Secretary, Director IB, Delhi Police Commissioner, DG NIA, and DGP Jammu and Kashmir.
Most of the deaths that occurred are due to burns. Investigators involved are examining whether the explosion was triggered due to an explosive device being transported. The intensity of the blast suggests that it wasn't a CNG cylinder blast.
Delhi Police has filed a case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), and the Explosives Act, among other charges.
Terror linkOfficials suspect a terror link to the car explosion, which traces back to the 2019 Pulwama attack, where a car hit the convoy of Indian Army soldiers and exploded. Earlier, a video also surfaced, which showed a LeT leader in Pakistan saying that global terrorist Hafis Saeed isn't sitting idle, but plotting a new attack on India. And recently, doctors were arrested with weapons, allegedly planning a pan-India act.
Several theories are emerging; however, nothing can be confirmed until a thorough investigation takes place.