Delhi Blast Mistaken for Cylinder Explosion: Couple Continues Ring Ceremony Amid Tragedy

Nine people lost their lives and 20 were injured following a car explosion near Red Fort on Monday evening.

New Delhi:

While a young couple was exchanging rings at the Jain Sports Club in Chandni Chowk on Monday, accompanied by DJ music, a violent explosion occurred less than a hundred meters away.

According to local accounts, the family mistakenly identified the thunderous sound as a transformer or gas cylinder explosion and proceeded with completing the ceremony.

The security guard of the sports club, which was established in 1932, recounted, "When the blast happened, there was complete chaos. Most of us thought it was just a cylinder explosion. Who would imagine something so severe could occur on an ordinary day?" He mentioned he had been on duty until 6 pm that evening while wedding celebrations were taking place inside.

"It seemed like a typical day with a regular function. Everyone assumed it was a transformer malfunction or something similar. Nobody even went outside to investigate," the security guard explained.

Suresh, a 50-year-old merchant selling trinkets and watches nearby, mentioned that the wedding at the Jain Sports Club continued for some time after the explosion occurred.

"Approximately 50 people had been there since morning, preparing for the ceremony. When the explosion happened, they temporarily stopped the music, looked around briefly, and then resumed their celebration. Most people in the area didn't realize it was actually a bomb blast until returning home later that night," he said.

Ravinder, who repairs watches at a roadside stall just a meter from the club entrance, shared that he was focused on his work when the explosion shook the area.

"I was sitting and repairing watches as usual when suddenly there was an overwhelming sound. I immediately started packing my things and fleeing. A group of people nearby were dancing to music at the wedding function. Everyone stood still momentarily, then turned off the music and began looking around to understand what had happened," he told PTI.

He also believed it was merely a transformer explosion. "Nobody realized the severity of the situation. I travel from Meerut daily, and that day I rushed home early because I was frightened," he added.

A few shops away, another clock seller who wished to remain anonymous described how the shockwave caused entire shops to tremble.

"There was an enormous explosive sound, so powerful that many of our clocks and watches shook and even fell from the shelves," he said.

Another local resident mentioned that one of the neighborhood youths was first to alert them that it was indeed an explosion.

"We were all confused until a local boy ran in shouting that a car had been propelled into the air and suggested it might be a bomb blast. The impact was so intense that everything shook momentarily, and some of our items fell from the shelves. We couldn't hear anything for minutes afterward," he said.

In the narrow streets nearby, rickshaw drivers described how panic spread rapidly.

"Immediately after the explosion, people began jumping onto our rickshaws," said Sunil, a rickshaw driver.

"We were pedaling away as quickly as possible, heading toward the metro station. When we arrived there, it was absolute chaos, with people shouting, pushing, and trying to reach the metro station. It felt as though everything had descended into disorder," he recalled.

The high-intensity explosion, which tore through a slow-moving vehicle near the Red Fort metro station on Monday evening, resulted in multiple fatalities and numerous injuries.