Deadly Explosion Near Delhi's Red Fort: 13 Killed, 24 Injured in Suspected Attack

At approximately 6:52 pm, a slow-moving vehicle halted at a traffic signal near Delhi's iconic Red Fort before suddenly exploding, resulting in 13 fatalities and at least 24 injuries.

Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha informed reporters that the explosion and subsequent fire caused damage to nearby vehicles as well. Footage from the scene showed severely damaged vehicles and shattered glass scattered across the road.

Golcha noted that forensics experts, the National Investigation Agency, and the National Security Guard have arrived at the location. "The Home Minister (Amit Shah) is being kept informed with regular updates," he added.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer AK Malik told ANI that firefighters brought the blaze under control by 7:29 pm, mentioning that seven fire units were initially dispatched to the scene.

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Disturbing images revealed body parts strewn around the explosion site. A fire department official told PTI, "Six cars, two e-rickshaws and one autorickshaw were destroyed in the fire."

Sanjay Bhargav, who heads the Chandni Chowk Traders' Association and owns a shop approximately 800 metres from the incident, described how the entire building shook from the blast's force. Another witness recounted, "I was at the gurdwara when I heard an extremely loud noise. The sound was so overwhelming that we couldn't immediately identify what had happened."

This explosion in the densely populated area occurred on the same day authorities recovered approximately 360 kilograms of suspected ammonium nitrate along with weapons and ammunition from a Kashmiri doctor's rented residence in Haryana's Faridabad.

Following these events, Delhi, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh have been placed on high alert.