8 dead, 24 injured after a powerful explosion inside a car near Red Fort Metro Station

This special report focuses on the high-intensity car blast near Delhi's Red Fort that left eight people dead and over twenty injured. The programme details the ongoing investigation by multiple agencies, including the Delhi Police Special Cell and NSG, and a visit to the site by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and to the hospital by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. One reporter noted, 'it's not a telltale sign of an usual explosion using an RDX'. 

According to Delhi Police, the explosion occurred in a 'slow-moving vehicle', adding that a probe is currently underway. "Some deaths happened, few people got injured. The situation is being regularly monitored. The home minister is being regularly briefed," Golcha said after arriving at the spot.

Panic gripped the area as several vehicles were seen damaged at the spot following the loud explosion. An injured eyewitness, who suffered a wound on his forehead, said the explosion appeared to have originated from a car, probably a Swift.

There was a Swift car in front of my auto. There was something in that car that suddenly blasted, he said. Another witness said, "I



was at the gurdwara when I heard a strong sound. We couldn't make out what it was, it was that loud."  

A number of vehicles nearby were completely damaged, he added.

Sanjay Bhargaw, president of the Chandni Chowk Traders Association, whose shop is about 800 metres away from the incident site, said the entire building shook due to the blast. There was chaos in the market as people started running, he shared. 

The blast came hours after the recovery of around 360 kg of suspected ammonium nitrate and a cache of arms and ammunition from a Kashmiri doctor's rented accommodation in nearby Faridabad. Haryana Police, in coordination with their Jammu and Kashmir counterparts, arrested Dr Muzammil Ganaie from Faridabad's Dhauj area recovered explosive materials, weapons, and timers from his rented house.

The investigation is currently exploring the unusual nature of the explosion, which occurred in a Hyundai i20 and did not leave a crater, a typical sign of an IED blast. Authorities have confirmed the car's owner has been traced, though he claims to have sold the vehicle.