A car explosion outside the historic Red Fort monument in Delhi has killed at least eight people and started a fire in the surrounding area, according to police.
The cause of the explosion, which took place just before 7pm local time (1330 GMT) on Monday night, is being investigated. The registered owner of the car has reportedly been detained for questioning.
Police said a slow-moving car had stopped at a red light just outside the Red Fort metro station before the blast. “An explosion happened in that vehicle, and due to the explosion, nearby vehicles were also damaged,” said the Delhi police commissioner, Satish Golcha.
Dozens of fire engines and ambulances rushed to the scene after the blast. Footage on Indian TV news channels showed the chaos of the aftermath, including a car with its doors blasted off, mangled bodies and people screaming in panic. More than a dozen other cars, rickshaws and motorcycles were blackened and burned in the fire caused by the explosion.
One witness told NDTV the force of the blast had sent shock waves through nearby buildings. “One person’s body was torn into pieces. I saw a hand on the road,” he said. “It was a very strong explosion.”
Golcha confirmed at least eight people had been killed and 20 injured. “The situation is being monitored. We are investigating the incident and will update you shortly,” he added.
India’s home affairs minister, Amit Shah, said it was “difficult to say what caused the incident until the samples recovered from the blast site are analysed”.
As he travelled to the explosion site, Shah added: “We do not consider any angle closed. We will investigate all angles with determination.”
In a post on X, the prime minister, Narendra Modi, said he was reviewing the situation with Shah. “Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in the blast in Delhi earlier this evening. May the injured recover at the earliest. Those affected are being assisted by authorities,” he said.
The Red Fort, known as Lal Qila, is located in the heavily congested Old Delhi area of India’s capital which is usually heaving with people, food stalls and vehicles and is a popular tourist destination.
A vast 17th-century Mughal palace, the fort is one of India’s most significant monuments. The prime minister makes an annual address on the fort’s ramparts on Independence Day and it features on the country’s banknotes.
The city of Mumbai in Maharashtra was put on “precautionary” high alert after the Red Fort blast. In the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh, an order was issued to increase security at religious sites and sensitive border areas and alerts were also issued in the states of Haryana and Punjab.
