Delhi Blast: 'All Possibilities Being Investigated' — Amit Shah Issues Statement

Union Home Minister Amit Shah issued a statement following the fatal explosion in the national capital, that killed eight persons and left around 24 others injured. All possibilities involving the incident will be thoroughly investigated, Shah said.

"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. The blast injured some pedestrians and damaged some vehicles. Preliminary reports indicate that some people have lost their lives," news agency ANI quoted him as saying.

Within 10 minutes of receiving the information of the blast, teams from the Delhi Crime Branch and Delhi Special Branch arrived at the spot, Shah said. The National Security Guard and National Investigation Agency teams, along with the Forensic Science Laboratory have now begun a thorough investigation, he added.

"Orders have been given to examine all nearby CCTV cameras," Shah noted. The home minister further said that "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 added.

Shah also spoke to the Delhi Police commissioner, the director of the Intelligence Bureau and the Union home secretary to take stock of the situation following the blast.

Experts of the NSG and investigators of the NIA have rushed to the blast site, sources told news agency PTI. The NSG team comprised explosive experts, while the NIA team consisted of investigators experienced in terror cases.

Notably, a high-intensity explosion ripped through a car near the Red Fort metro station, gutting several vehicles. The injured victims were taken to the LNJP hospital, a few kilometres away.

With PTI inputs