An explosion in a Hyundai i20 car near the Red Fort Metro Station killed at least eight people and injured 20 others on Monday evening, prompting Delhi Police to register a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Explosives Act, with investigations pointing to possible terror links.
The blast occurred at 6:52 p.m. near Gate No. 1 of the station in a busy Old Delhi area, a high-security zone close to the historic 17th-century Red Fort, a major tourist site, according to details received by The Chenab Times. The vehicle, bearing a Haryana registration plate, was slow-moving and carried three occupants at the time, with the explosion igniting six vehicles and three auto-rickshaws, shattering windows and extinguishing nearby street lights, witnesses reported.
Delhi Fire Services received the alert at 6:55 p.m. and dispatched 20 fire tenders, containing the blaze by 7:30 p.m. All injured were rushed to nearby hospitals, including LNJP Hospital, where two victims—Ashok Kumar from Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, and Amar Kataria from Sriniwaspuri, Delhi—have been identified so far. A forensic team is analyzing samples to confirm the blast’s nature, potentially involving ammonium nitrate-based explosives, though no final determination has been made.
The incident unfolded hours after Jammu and Kashmir Police, acting on intelligence from arrested doctor Adil Rather, recovered nearly 3,000 kg of explosives—including 350 kg of ammonium nitrate—from two residential buildings in Faridabad, Haryana. Authorities are questioning individuals linked to a terror module associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), busted earlier that day. Two men, Salman and Devender, former owners of the Hyundai i20, have been detained, with the vehicle’s sales history traced to a Pulwama resident named Tariq, adding a Jammu and Kashmir connection to the probe. CCTV footage shows the car entering the area from Daryaganj market around 4 p.m.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences on X and is coordinating with Home Minister Amit Shah, who visited the site and injured victims at the hospital. “Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in the blast in Delhi earlier this evening,” Modi posted. Shah stated that “all angles are open” in the investigation, with teams from the National Investigation Agency, National Security Guard, and forensics on site.
A high alert has been issued across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, with enhanced security at airports, railway stations, and heritage sites nationwide, including by the Central Industrial Security Force. The U.S. Embassy advised Americans to avoid the area. Chandni Chowk market will remain closed on Tuesday, as announced by traders.
Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha confirmed the case under UAPA, Explosives Act, and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections, with one person detained over the car’s ownership. The area remains cordoned off as the probe continues, with no group claiming responsibility.
(Inputs from various reports)
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The Chenab Times News Desk
