AhlulBayt News Agency: The blast took place near the city’s iconic Red Fort, also known as the Lal Qila, a 17th century monument and a symbol of India’s independence. The area, a major tourist hub known for its crowded bazaars and street vendors, was immediately thrown into chaos.
The incident is a rare occurrence for the sprawling metropolis of more than 30 million people.
Footage of the aftermath on local television showed thick, orange flames billowing into the pitch-black sky. Video showed vehicles badly charred and damaged. One man could be seen bleeding from his forehead.
The cause of the blast is not yet known, and an investigation is ongoing.
Delhi police are investigating the case under various sections of India’s anti-terror law, North Delhi deputy commissioner of police, Raja Banthia, told.
More than 30 other people were “badly injured” in the blast, said Dr. Manish Kumar Jha, a physician at the local Lok Nayak Hospital. “Many are not in a position of recovering,” he told reporters.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to the relatives of those killed. “May the injured recover at the earliest,” he said in a post on X.
Home Minister Amit Shah visited the site of the attack and met the victims at the hospital.
“Top agencies are investigating the incident with full intensity, and will go in-depth into the incident,” he wrote on X.
What happened?
Before the explosion, a “slow-moving” vehicle “came to a stop” near a red light around 6:42 p.m. local time, Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha told reporters.
An explosion occurred in that vehicle. The passengers in the vehicle and people in surrounding vehicles were impacted,” Golcha said.
At least six vehicles and three autorickshaws were set on fire, Reuters reported, citing Delhi’s deputy fire chief.
Emergency crews then arrived at the scene and extinguished the blaze – after receiving a call at 6:55 p.m. local time, Sumit Kumar, a Delhi fire services official, told. Survivors were taken to a nearby hospital.
Residents recalled hearing a loud bang in the neighborhood.
“We heard a big sound. Our windows shook,” one resident who did not give a name told Indian broadcaster NDTV, according to Reuters.
Your Comment