Delhi Red Fort Blast Fact Check: Govt Debunks Claims Of CNG Explosion In Moving Car
The government said the case is being probed from all angles at the moment, while appealing to people to stay alert and refrain from circulating any unverified information.
The cause of the car blast in Delhi, which killed at least nine people on Monday, has not been confirmed yet, the government clarified on Tuesday. The clarification came after some social media handles claimed CNG explosion was the cause of the blast.
“Some social media accounts are claiming that Special CP (Law & Order) Ravindra Yadav has confirmed the recent blast in Delhi was caused by a CNG explosion. This claim is fake. No official from the Delhi Police has made any such statement,” PIB FactCheck said.
The government also said the case is being probed from all angles at the moment. “Please stay alert. Do not share any unverified information. Rely only on information obtained from authentic and official sources,” the statement further read.
Earlier, social media posts were circulating on platforms like X, claiming that Special CP (Law & Order) Ravindra Yadav has confirmed that the Delhi blast was caused by a CNG explosion.
At least 20 people were injured in the high-intensity blast, which took place near Red Fort metro station in Delhi. According to the police, the powerful explosion occurred inside a moving Hyundai i20 car near the Red Fort area. Police said they are probing all possible angles, including the possibility of a suicide bomber.
"The blast occurred in a moving Hyundai i20 car in which three people were sitting. We have not found any pellet or puncture in the body of the injured, which is unusual in a blast. We are investigating all angles," a senior police officer was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Eyewitnesses described the blast as deafening, with the sound heard up to ITO, nearly two km away. The explosion shattered the window panes of nearby vehicles.
Following the blast, police were able to detain the car’s owner, Mohd. Salman, late in the evening. It was discovered that Salman had sold the car about one-and-a-half years ago to a man named Devendra in Okhla. The vehicle was later sold to someone in Ambala and then to a man named Tariq in Pulwama.
Police are now tracing all individuals connected to the car’s ownership. A high alert has been issued across the national capital.
