At least eight people were killed in an explosion near the landmark Red Fort in a densely populated district of the Indian capital, New Delhi, city police said on Monday (Nov 10).
The exact cause of the blast was being investigated, city police spokesperson Sanjay Tyagi said. However, India’s financial capital of Mumbai as well as its most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, which borders Delhi, went on high security alert after the blast, local media reported.
“Eight people have been killed in the explosion,” Tyagi said. At least 20 people were injured, TV channels reported, as ambulances raced to the scene.
Mangled bodies and the wreckage of several cars could be seen on a congested street near a metro station in the old quarter of Delhi, as police poured into the area to secure it and push back gathering crowds.
Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha said the blast took place minutes before 7pm.
“A slow-moving vehicle stopped at a red light. An explosion happened in that vehicle, and due to the explosion, nearby vehicles were also damaged,” he told reporters.
“The situation is being monitored,” he added.
At least six vehicles and three autorickshaws caught fire, Delhi’s deputy fire chief said, adding that the flames had been doused by firefighting teams.
Ambulances streamed into a nearby public hospital, carrying several injured people, AFP images showed.
The building was cordoned off amid a heavy police deployment as officers moved through the corridors.
Outside, anxious relatives gathered after hearing that their loved ones had been brought in.
Musarrat Ansari said her brother was injured after a burning car hit the motorbike he was riding.
“He called me and said his leg was hurt - he couldn’t walk,” she said.
“We heard a big sound, our windows shook,” one resident, who did not give a name, told NDTV.
The Red Fort, which was completed under Moghul rule in 1648 and is located in the old quarters of Delhi, is one of India’s most well-known landmarks.
Indian prime ministers address the nation from its ramparts on Independence Day, and it features on the largest banknote.
- Agencies
