(MENAFN- Live Mint) Delhi blast: At least eight people have been killed and 24 others injured after a car exploded near Gate 1 of the Red Fort Metro station in Old Delhi in the evening on 10 November, according to multiple reports by PTI, ANI and AP.

Police have sounded a high alert in Delhi. However, it has not been confirmed yet whether the Red Fort explosion was a bomb blast.

After the explosion, three to four other vehicles also caught fire and sustained damage, the fire department said. The injured were taken to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital, a few kilometres away.

Home Minister Amit Shah told reporters that the car in the explosion was a Hyundai i20. He added that CCTV footage from cameras in the area will be used in the investigation.

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Sandeep Kumar, spokesperson for Gurugram Police, said that the car used in the blast was originally registered to a Gurugram resident identified as Salman.“He had sold the vehicle to a man named Devender, a resident of Okhla, around one and a half years ago. We have handed over Salman to the Delhi Police. Devender has been arrested by Delhi Police, and both are being questioned to trace the subsequent sale and establish the complete chain of ownership,” Kumar said.

The spokesperson said that the car was later sold to someone in Ambala but they don't have further details.

Mohammad Salman is a resident of Shanti Nagar in Gurugram and lived with his wife and two children. He sold the car due to financial crunch, his wife told reporters.

Speaking to AP, Sanjay Tyagi, a spokesman for the city's police force, confirmed that at least 8 people were killed, and several others were injured.“We are investigating the cause of the blast,” he said.

At least 15 people were taken to LNJP Hospital, among whom eight died on the way. Three others are grievously injured and one is in stable condition, as per the hospital's medical superintendent.

In a statement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said,“Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in the blast in Delhi earlier this evening. May the injured recover at the earliest. Those affected are being assisted by authorities. Reviewed the situation with Home Minister Amit Shah Ji and other officials.”

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In a video posted on social media platform X, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said,“This evening, around 7 pm, a blast occurred in a Hyundai i20 car at the Subhash Marg traffic signal near the Red Fort in Delhi. The blast injured some pedestrians and damaged some vehicles. Preliminary reports indicate that some people have lost their lives.”

“Within 10 minutes of receiving the information of the blast, teams from the Delhi Crime Branch and Delhi Special Branch arrived at the spot. The NSG and NIA teams, along with the FSL, have now begun a thorough investigation. Orders have been given to examine all nearby CCTV cameras. I have also spoken to the Delhi CP and the Special Branch in-charge. The Delhi CP and the Special Branch in-charge are present at the spot,” he added.

“We are exploring all possibilities and will conduct a thorough investigation, taking all possibilities into account. All options will be investigated immediately and we will present the results to the public. I will be heading to the spot shortly and will also visit the hospital immediately,” the minister said.

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PTI cited government sources saying that PM Modi has taken stock of the situation after the deadly explosion in the national capital. They added that he spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the incident.

Sources further told PTI that Delhi Police chief Satish Golcha briefed Amit Shah about the situation, and the home minister has directed chiefs of the National Investigative Agency (NIA), the National Security Guard (NSG), and forensic sciences to rush teams to assist in the investigation and collect evidence.

Sources also said that Amit Shah has spoken to the Delhi police chief and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) director.

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• PTI reported that the anti-terror squad (ATS) was also on the spot to assess the situation.
• Teams from the NSG, NIA, and the forensic department were rushed to the spot, another ANI report added.
• According to sources, the Delhi Police has restricted entry and exit of Gate numbers 1 and 4 at the Red Fort, also known as Lal Qila.

Teams from the NSG, NIA, and the forensic department were rushed to the spot, as per reports.

• Metro services are running normally throughout the network, they added.
• According to sources, all railway stations have been put on precautionary alert.
• A“precautionary” high alert has been issued in Maharashtra and security has been beefed up at vital installations, a senior police officer told PTI.“All the unit commanders at the district level in Maharashtra and commissioners of cities have been instructed to remain alert to avoid any untoward incidents,” a police official said.
• Uttar Pradesh ADG Law and Order Amitabh Yash also told ANI that the state has been put on alert and instructions have been issued to all senior officials to increase security at sensitive religious sites, sensitive districts, and border areas.“All security agencies have also been alerted. Police in all districts of Uttar Pradesh have been put on alert. An order was issued from Lucknow to increase patrols and checks in sensitive areas,” Yash stated.
• Reports also stated that Delhi, Chennai, Gurgaon and Ayodhya have also been put on high alert.

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and devastation amid blast

The high-intensity blast was so powerful that the sound was heard at the ITO a few kilometres away, and the windows of vehicles parked several metres away shattered, PTI reported.

Eyewitnesses recalled panic at the scene amid the loud explosion, flames and devastation. An eyewitness and local resident Rajdhar Pandey told ANI,“I saw the flames from my house and then came down to see what had happened. There was a loud explosion. I live nearby.”

An injured eyewitness, who suffered a wound on his forehead, told PTI the explosion appeared to have originated from a car.“There was a 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, told PTI the entire building shook due to the blast. There was chaos in the market as people started running, he shared.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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