Delhi Blast: Death Toll Rises To 13; High Alert Issued In National Capital

At least 13 persons were killed and several were left injured in an explosion that erupted close to the iconic Red Fort in New Delhi. The blast occurred near the Gate No 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station.

A special team of Delhi Police was rushed to the site following the explosion. The injured victims were rushed to the nearby Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Narayan hospital.

The explosion was reported inside a car, which led to six to seven vehicles parked nearby also catching fire, NDTV reported. Visuals shared on social media showed several charred vehicles, including electric rickshaws, at the site. Fire department and police personnel can be seen in the area.

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A high alert has been issued in the national capital following the explosion, news agency PTI reported. Forensic and technical experts have been rushed to the scene to determine the nature of the blast.

According to the Delhi Fire Department, a call was received regarding an explosion in a car near Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station, after which three to four vehicles also caught fire and sustained damage.

A total of seven fire tenders have reached the spot, and a team from the Delhi Police Special Cell are also there, news agency ANI reported.

The Red Fort, also known as Lal Qila, is located in the congested Old Delhi area. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the national capital. Security cover in the area is always at a high level.

Videos shared by the Chandni Chowk Traders' Association showed the magnitude of the blast. A body could be seen lying on a vehicle. Another video showed a body lying on the road. Eyewitnesses said body parts could be seen scattered near the blast site.

"Six cars, two e-rickshaws and one autorickshaw were gutted in the fire," said a fire department official, according to PTI.

A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) reached the spot.

The blast was so powerful that it shattered the windows of vehicles parked several metres away. The sound was heard at ITO, a few kilometres away.

"The blast occurred in a car parked near Red Fort metro station gate number 1. The intensity was quite high. Injuries are feared," a senior official of Delhi Fire Service was quoted as saying by the PTI.

Visuals of the incident showed plumes of fire billowing from the burning cars. Panic gripped the area as several vehicles were seen damaged at the spot following the loud explosion.

An injured eyewitness, who suffered a wound on his forehead, said the explosion appeared to have originated from a car, probably a Swift.

“There was a Swift car in front of my auto. There was something in that car that suddenly blasted,” he said.

Another witness 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,” he added.

Sanjay Bhargaw, president of the Chandni Chowk Traders Association, whose shop is about 800 metres away from the incident site, said the entire building shook due to the blast.

There was chaos in the market as people started running, he shared.

The blast came hours after the recovery of around 360 kg of suspected ammonium nitrate and a cache of arms and ammunition from a Kashmiri doctor’s rented accommodation in nearby Faridabad.

Haryana Police, in coordination with their Jammu and Kashmir counterparts, arrested Dr Muzammil Ganaie from Faridabad’s Dhauj area recovered explosive materials, weapons, and timers from his rented house.

Eight people, including three doctors, were arrested and 2,900 kg of explosives seized with the uncovering of a “white collar” terror module involving the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind and spanning Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, officials said.

Among those arrested following a 15-day operation were Kashmir's Dr Ganaie in Faridabad and Dr Shaheen, a woman doctor from Lucknow, who was taken by air to Srinagar for custodial interrogation, officials said. An AK-47 rifle was found in her car.

(With PTI inputs)