On Monday evening, a deadly auto bomb blast targeted the metro headquarters adjacent to the historic Red Fort World Heritage Site in Delhi, India. The bomb killed ten people and left more than thirty others with life-changing injuries. The blast, which took place around 6:42 p.m. local time, has sent shockwaves through the surrounding area, home to the 17th-century Mughal-era fort known as the Lal Qila.
Witnesses described a slow-moving vehicle that stopped at a red light. Just a few minutes later, a massive explosion shook the ground. Although all passengers in the blast affected vehicle survived, the blast had catastrophic consequences on the passengers inside. It had huge impacts on people in adjacent vehicles and pedestrians. Eyewitnesses said the scene was terrifying and chaotic, with large orange fireballs shooting hundreds of feet into the night sky after the explosion.
Torrents of motorcyclists and walkers made their way to the scene, lured by the siren call of carnage. The blast set six cars and three autorickshaws on fire, complicating emergency response efforts for the injured. Civic authorities rushed the injured to Lok Nayak Hospital to get them treated.
Dr. Manish Kumar Jha, a physician at Lok Nayak Hospital, confirmed that many of the injured sustained serious injuries due to the blast’s intensity.
Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha headed the investigation into the incident. U.S. security officials and forensic scientists quickly fanned out across the scene of the anniversary explosion, in search of key evidence. Meanwhile, federal and local authorities are looking into what caused the explosion. Now more than ever, they’re committed to protecting the public from such a tragedy.
The residents felt scared, shocked and hurt over the attack they saw. One unnamed resident stated, “We heard a big sound. Our windows shook.” Another nearby resident, Rajdhar Pandey, added, “There was a loud explosion. I live nearby.”
In a statement expressing his condolences, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered support to the victims’ families. “May the injured recover at the earliest.” We hope the government will respond urgently to make sure those impacts get to the people who need them most.
