On a road near the tourist site 'Red Fort'
The explosion occurred immediately after coming to a stop at a stop signal
Police on the 10th (local time) are examining burned vehicles behind the safety cordon at the blast site near the Red Fort in the old quarter of Delhi, India. AFP-Yonhap
A vehicle explosion occurred near a major heritage site in Delhi, India, leaving 8 dead and 20 injured. Police are investigating without ruling out the possibility of terrorism.
According to Reuters and other outlets, at about 6:52 p.m. on the 10th, a vehicle traveling at low speed exploded just after coming to a halt at a stop signal on a road near the popular tourist site 'Red Fort' in Delhi. The incident left 8 dead and 20 injured, who were taken to nearby hospitals.
The Red Fort is a 17th-century Mughal imperial palace and fortress and a symbolic venue where the Independence Day address of India is delivered every August 15.
At the time of the incident, the site was near a crowded downtown metro station, and video captured people lying around a vehicle engulfed in flames. Witnesses said, "the force of the blast was so great that it shattered the windows of cars parked far away."
According to the fire authorities, six vehicles and three three-wheelers (autorickshaws) were burned, and the highest alert was issued across Delhi. Twenty fire engines were deployed to the scene, and traffic in the surrounding area was completely restricted. Police stated that "all possibilities are being kept open in the investigation."
Local outlet NDTV reported that a former owner of the exploded vehicle was arrested and that the background of the incident is under investigation. The Home Minister of India, Amit Shah, said the authorities would "ascertain the cause of the blast as soon as possible" and are investigating "from multiple angles, including the possibility of terrorism."
The explosion occurred a few hours after 360 kg of a substance suspected to be ammonium nitrate and weapons and ammunition were found at a house in Faridabad, Haryana. The tenant of that house was identified as a doctor from Kashmir wanted in connection with a case related to the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
The group carried out a suicide bombing in 2019 in the Pulwama area of Indian-administered Kashmir, killing more than 40 Indian police personnel.
Following the vehicle explosion, the government of India issued alerts at major airports and railway stations nationwide and strengthened security in the capital Delhi, the neighboring states of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, and areas along the border with Nepal. The US Embassy in India also issued a security alert advising its citizens to avoid the area.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India said on X, "I offer condolences to the bereaved families of those who lost their lives in the blast, and I hope for the swift recovery of the injured."
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