At least eight people were killed and several others injured in a car explosion outside Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort Metro station on Monday evening. The sources said that six cars, four motorcycles and three rickshaws caught fire after the explosion.
“Eight people were killed and six injured,” said Dr BL Chaudhary, a doctor at Lok Nayak Hospital.
The Delhi Fire Service said in a statement that a call was received at around 6.55 pm about an explosion and vehicles catching fire. The statement said that seven fire engines rushed to the scene and the fire was extinguished by 7:36 p.m.
Madhur Verma, Joint Commissioner of Police (Central Range), said: “The vehicle was equipped with compressed natural gas. It is too early to comment on the nature of the explosion at this stage.”
A team from Delhi Police Special Cell and local police have launched a preliminary investigation into the incident. The National Security Guard (NSG) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have also been restricted. A high alert has been sounded across Delhi.
Video of the effects of the explosion It showed flames across a wide area, bodies scattered on the road, and people trying to rescue victims from the flames. Local residents living near Sis Ganj Gurdwara said their windows were shattered and they rushed out of their homes.
“It was a massive explosion. The shaking could be felt at a distance of up to 700 to 900 metres. The buildings shook as if an earthquake had occurred… and there were bodies lying on the road,” Sanjay Bhargava, president of the Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal Traders’ Association, told The Indian Express.
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the Red Fort Metro Station It is located on the main road between Delhi Gate in central Delhi and Kashmir Gate in the north. It is located opposite the road leading to Chandni Chowk, about 1.5 km from Jama Masjid. Old Delhi Railway Station is about 2 km away.
The blast site is located directly opposite the pedestrian area of ​​Chandni Chowk. Describing the situation in the market, Bhargava said: “All the shops have now been closed. The roads are crowded, and there is panic among shoppers. People are rushing to leave… There is a long queue outside the parking area of ​​the market as everyone is trying to get to their cars and get out as quickly as possible.”
Restrictions were imposed on entry to the metro station. “Delhi Police has restricted entry and exit at Gate No. 1 and 4 of Lal Qila. However, metro services are operating normally across the network,” the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said in a statement.
(tags for translation) Delhi blast
