The Crossbill Team
A powerful explosion near the Red Fort Metro Station in Delhi on Monday evening left at least nine people dead and several others injured, triggering panic in one of the Capital’s busiest areas.
The blast occurred in a moving Hyundai i20 car outside Gate No. 1 of the metro station around 6.52 pm, setting several nearby vehicles ablaze and sending shockwaves across the city.
According to officials, the exact cause of the explosion remains unconfirmed. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that multiple agencies were investigating “all angles” and that no possibility was being ruled out.
“We are exploring all possibilities and will conduct a thorough investigation, taking all possibilities into account. All options will be investigated immediately and we will present the results to the public,” he said.
Preliminary reports suggest that the car had been parked near the Red Fort area for over three hours before it was driven out and exploded. The vehicle, traced to a Gurgaon resident, had reportedly changed hands several times, with its last owner identified as a resident of Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir.
Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha, who visited the site, said the blast occurred when a slow-moving vehicle halted at a traffic signal near Gate No. 1.
“The explosion affected surrounding vehicles. As soon as we were informed, we notified all agencies concerned – Delhi Police, FSL, NIA and NSG. Their teams have arrived and are monitoring the situation. They are investigating the cause behind the explosion,” Golcha told reporters.
The impact of the explosion was devastating — six cars, four motorcycles and three e-rickshaws caught fire, and several people sustained burn injuries.
“The people who were injured don’t have splinter wounds, and there’s no crater at the spot. However, the explosion was so powerful that the vehicles around were completely shattered,” a police officer said.
The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals with severe burns and mangled limbs.
Amit Shah, who later visited the site, confirmed that the NSG, NIA, and FSL had been roped in to carry out a detailed probe.
“This evening, around 7 pm, a blast occurred in a Hyundai i20 car at the Subhash Marg traffic signal near the Red Fort in Delhi… Within 10 minutes of receiving information of the blast, teams from the Delhi Crime Branch and Delhi Special Branch arrived at the spot. The NSG and NIA teams, along with the FSL, have started a thorough investigation. Orders have been given to examine all nearby CCTV cameras and I have also spoken to the Delhi CP and the Special Branch in-charge,” he said.
Asked if the explosion was a terror attack, the Home Minister responded: “It is difficult to say what caused the incident. Until the samples recovered from the blast site are analysed by forensic authorities and NSG, we can’t say anything. But we are not ruling out anything, and investigating the matter from all angles.”
He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been briefed about the situation and that a high-level meeting would be held on Tuesday to review the investigation.
In a post on X, Modi wrote: “Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in the blast in Delhi earlier this evening. May the injured recover at the earliest… Those affected are being assisted by authorities. Reviewed the situation with Home Minister Amit Shah Ji and other officials.”
The Delhi Fire Service said it received a call about the explosion and fire around 6.55 pm. Seven fire tenders were immediately dispatched, and the blaze was brought under control by 7.36 pm. Such was the intensity of the blast that a police post nearly 100 metres away was damaged, and debris was flung up to 200 metres from the site.
A high alert has been issued across Delhi and other major cities. Videos from the scene showed flames engulfing vehicles, bodies lying on the road, and bystanders rushing to help the injured. Residents near Sis Ganj Gurdwara reported that their windows had shattered from the shockwave.
Sanjay Bhargava, president of the Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal, described the scene as one of horror.
“It was a massive blast. The shaking could be felt as far as 700 to 900 metres away. Buildings shook as if an earthquake had struck… There were bodies lying on the road,” he told The Indian Express.
The Red Fort metro station, situated on the main road connecting Delhi Gate and Kashmere Gate and just 1.5 kilometres from Jama Masjid, witnessed chaos following the explosion.
“All shops have now been shut. The roads are packed, and there’s panic among shoppers. People are rushing to leave… There’s a long queue outside the market’s parking area as everyone is trying to get to their cars and exit as quickly as possible,” Bhargava said.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation later announced that entry and exit at Gates 1 and 4 of Lal Qila station had been restricted.
“However, metro services are running normally throughout the network,” it said in a statement.
The blast occurred in a moving Hyundai i20 car outside Gate No. 1 of the metro station around 6.52 pm, setting several nearby vehicles ablaze and sending shockwaves across the city.
According to officials, the exact cause of the explosion remains unconfirmed. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that multiple agencies were investigating “all angles” and that no possibility was being ruled out.
“We are exploring all possibilities and will conduct a thorough investigation, taking all possibilities into account. All options will be investigated immediately and we will present the results to the public,” he said.
Preliminary reports suggest that the car had been parked near the Red Fort area for over three hours before it was driven out and exploded. The vehicle, traced to a Gurgaon resident, had reportedly changed hands several times, with its last owner identified as a resident of Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir.
Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha, who visited the site, said the blast occurred when a slow-moving vehicle halted at a traffic signal near Gate No. 1.
“The explosion affected surrounding vehicles. As soon as we were informed, we notified all agencies concerned – Delhi Police, FSL, NIA and NSG. Their teams have arrived and are monitoring the situation. They are investigating the cause behind the explosion,” Golcha told reporters.
The impact of the explosion was devastating — six cars, four motorcycles and three e-rickshaws caught fire, and several people sustained burn injuries.
“The people who were injured don’t have splinter wounds, and there’s no crater at the spot. However, the explosion was so powerful that the vehicles around were completely shattered,” a police officer said.
The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals with severe burns and mangled limbs.
Amit Shah, who later visited the site, confirmed that the NSG, NIA, and FSL had been roped in to carry out a detailed probe.
“This evening, around 7 pm, a blast occurred in a Hyundai i20 car at the Subhash Marg traffic signal near the Red Fort in Delhi… Within 10 minutes of receiving information of the blast, teams from the Delhi Crime Branch and Delhi Special Branch arrived at the spot. The NSG and NIA teams, along with the FSL, have started a thorough investigation. Orders have been given to examine all nearby CCTV cameras and I have also spoken to the Delhi CP and the Special Branch in-charge,” he said.
Asked if the explosion was a terror attack, the Home Minister responded: “It is difficult to say what caused the incident. Until the samples recovered from the blast site are analysed by forensic authorities and NSG, we can’t say anything. But we are not ruling out anything, and investigating the matter from all angles.”
He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been briefed about the situation and that a high-level meeting would be held on Tuesday to review the investigation.
In a post on X, Modi wrote: “Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in the blast in Delhi earlier this evening. May the injured recover at the earliest… Those affected are being assisted by authorities. Reviewed the situation with Home Minister Amit Shah Ji and other officials.”
The Delhi Fire Service said it received a call about the explosion and fire around 6.55 pm. Seven fire tenders were immediately dispatched, and the blaze was brought under control by 7.36 pm. Such was the intensity of the blast that a police post nearly 100 metres away was damaged, and debris was flung up to 200 metres from the site.
A high alert has been issued across Delhi and other major cities. Videos from the scene showed flames engulfing vehicles, bodies lying on the road, and bystanders rushing to help the injured. Residents near Sis Ganj Gurdwara reported that their windows had shattered from the shockwave.
Sanjay Bhargava, president of the Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal, described the scene as one of horror.
“It was a massive blast. The shaking could be felt as far as 700 to 900 metres away. Buildings shook as if an earthquake had struck… There were bodies lying on the road,” he told The Indian Express.
The Red Fort metro station, situated on the main road connecting Delhi Gate and Kashmere Gate and just 1.5 kilometres from Jama Masjid, witnessed chaos following the explosion.
“All shops have now been shut. The roads are packed, and there’s panic among shoppers. People are rushing to leave… There’s a long queue outside the market’s parking area as everyone is trying to get to their cars and exit as quickly as possible,” Bhargava said.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation later announced that entry and exit at Gates 1 and 4 of Lal Qila station had been restricted.
“However, metro services are running normally throughout the network,” it said in a statement.
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