Delhi Red Fort Blast: 8 Dead, 30 injured, Gov Exploring All Angles In Investigation

A massive blast ripped through a car near Gate 1 of Delhi’s Red Fort Metro Station on Monday evening, leaving at least eight people dead and nearly 20 injured. Several nearby vehicles caught fire following the explosion, leading to an immediate response from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), National Security Guard (NSG), and forensic teams. Officials have stated that all possible motives are being investigated. 

Home Minister Amit Shah visited victims of the blast at LNJP hospital in Delhi and noted that multiple agencies are investigating. Prime Minister Modi briefed Shah about the situation after the blast, and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta later arrived at the hospital.  

What The Eyewitnesses Saw 

Rajiv Manuja, 58, who owns a shop near the Red Fort metro area, witnessed the chaos caused by the explosion. “I heard a high-intensity explosion around 6.50 pm. One of the metal pieces came flying down to my shop, and all the glasses at my shop rattled like anything. There was utter chaos after the explosion. Many emergency vehicles, ambulances, started rushing around in the next few minutes.” Manuja told Outlook. 

An injured eyewitness, who suffered a wound on his forehead, said the “explosion appeared to have originated from a car.. There was a car in front of my auto, and something in that car suddenly blasted, as reported by PTI. 

Another witness, according to PTI, said, “I was at the gurdwara when I heard a strong sound. We couldn’t make out what it was; it was that loud. A number of vehicles nearby were completely damaged.”

Who was injured in the Red Forts Blast?

Several injured are being treated for burns and metal injuries at the LNJP hospital. The hospital administration called doctors who were on leave to resume their duties to support the response. 

Relatives of injured persons started reaching LNJP hospital, one of them was in a panic state, looking for their uncle, who was untraceable after the blast, according to an Outlook reporter on the ground. A massive police presence is seen outside the LNJP hospital.

Nazish, whose brother in law Mohsin drives an e auto rickshaw near Lal Qila chowk, spoke to Outlook. “I got calls from all our relatives after the blast. I tried calling my brother in law Mohsin 17 times, but he didn’t answer. His phone was later found by the Lal Qila police. I went to the Police station, but I wasn’t allowed to enter the police station due to high security. Then we came to the LNJP hospital but could not see Mohsin yet.” said Nazish

(With inputs from Ashlin Mathew and Fozia Yasin)