A blast has occurred reportedly in a parked car near Red Fort Metro Station, the Delhi Fire Service has said.
PTI has reported eight people dead and 24 injured so far.
There is heightened security in the area with Police investigating the source of the blast.
Blast In Red Fort In Delhi, 8 Killed, 24 Injured: Reports
More than eight people are feared dead and 24 injured due to the explosion in Red Fort area.
Summary
New Delhi is on High Alert after a huge explosion reportedly ripped through a car parked near the Red Fort on Monday evening, engulfing nearby vehicles in flames and killing at least one person and injuring several others, officials said.
Police sounded a high alert in Delhi. Seven fire tenders were rushed to the spot with police cordoning off the area, the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said.
The explosion was so powerful that it shattered windows of vehicles parked several metres away and was heard in nearby buildings of the congested area.
"The blast occurred in a car parked near Red Fort Metro Station gate number One. The intensity was quite high. Injuries are feared," said a senior official of Delhi Fire Service.
The anti-terror squad and Delhi Police Special Cell were on the spot to assess the situation. NIA (National investigation agency) team has arrived at the scene. Further details were awaited.
Visuals of the incident showed plumes of fire billowing from the burning cars. Panic gripped the area that was swarming with a huge crowd of people.
“I was at the gurdwara when I heard a strong sound. We couldn’t make out what it was, it was that loud,” said an eyewitness. “A number of vehicles nearby were completely damaged,” he added.
Another resident said the impact was so strong that nearby shops and buildings shook. “I had come here to buy something when I heard a huge blast. The whole shop trembled,” he said. “Several people were injured, and many were being taken away from the spot soon after.”
The blast comes hours after the recovery of around 360 kilograms of suspected ammonium nitrate and a cache of arms and ammunition from a Kashmiri doctor’s rented accommodation in Haryana’s Faridabad.
Haryana Police, in coordination with their Jammu and Kashmir counterparts, arrested Dr Muzammil from Faridabad’s Dhauj area and recovered explosive materials, weapons, and timers from his rented house.
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The accused, a teacher at Al Falah University, was reportedly wanted in a case related to terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed in Srinagar.
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