Police and security personnel stand behind the safety cordons delimiting the blast site as they inspect charred vehicles following an explosion near the Red Fort, in the old quarters of Delhi, on November 10, 2025. —AFP/VNA Photo

NEW DELHI — At least 10 people were killed and over 20 others were injured after a powerful blast ripped through a moving car near Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station in Delhi on Monday, officials said.

The nature of the blast was not immediately known and teams of forensic department, NIA, NSG and other emergency responders were at the spot.

Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha said that the blast occured at 6.52pm in a slow moving vehicle.

“Today at about 6.52pm, an explosion occurred in a slow moving vehicle coming towards red light, passengers were there, with that other vehicles got affected,” Golcha said.

He further informed that all the agencies, including Delhi Police, FSL, NIA, NSG teams immediately rushed the spot and an investigation is underway.

He confirmed casualties and injuries, adding the situation was being regularly monitored and Home Minister Amit Shah has also been briefed

“Some deaths happened, few people got injured, you will be updated on that. The situation is being regularly monitored. The Home Minister is being regularly briefed,” he added.

Medical Superintendent, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital said that 15 people were brought to the hospital. “Eight of them died before reaching the hospital. Three are seriously injured. One is in stable condition,” he said.

Earlier, Police said the explosion occurred in a car, a Hyundai i20, near Gate No 1 of Red Fort (Lal Qila) Metro Station on Monday evening, sparking panic in the high-security area. The impact of the blast caused three nearby vehicles to catch fire.

Following the blast, the police and fire tenders were rushed to the scene. Car parts were seen strewn around the spot due to the force of the blast.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer AK Malik said, “We got information that there was a blast in a car near Chandni Chowk Metro Station. We responded immediately, and seven units were sent to the spot. At 7:29 PM, the fire was brought under control. There is a possibility that there are casualties in this. All our teams are present at the spot.”

Meanwhile, a high alert has also been sounded in Delhi, Mumbai and other major cities. Security has also been tightened across the national capital and other major cities following the blast.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has also intensified security in the metro premises.

Car owners traced, held for questioning

The Delhi Police have traced the registration of the i20 car used in the blast to Haryana.

Accorsing to reports, the Hyundai i20 car was originally registered to one Salman.

He had reportedly sold the vehicle to a man named Devender, a resident of Okhla (Delhi) around one and a half years ago.

Both of them have been detained for questioning as the police is now trying establish the chain of ownership.

Review situation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reviewed the situation with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other officials, directing authorities to provide assistance to those affected.

The home minister briefed the PM on the ongoing response and investigation, with forensic teams, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and the National Security Guard (NSG) deployed to the scene.

As multiple teams are investigation the incident, Home Minister Amit Shah said that “all possibilities will be explored.”

“We are exploring all possibilities and will conduct a comprehensive investigation, taking every angle into account,” he said.

Amit Shah also visited Lok Nayak Hospital, where the injured are undergoing treatment. He held a review meeting with Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha and other senior officials at the hospital.

Eyewitnesses

“When we came near, we saw body parts spread on the road. No one could figure out what happened. Several cars have been damaged…” said a local.

Another said, “I never heard such a loud explosion ever in my life. I fell three times due to the explosion. It felt as if we were all going to die.”

Meanwhile, the PIB has busted the fake propaganda being run on social media, circulating an old image, falsly claiming it to be linked with the Red Fort blast. The image, being shared, is from a 2024 blast in Lebanon.

The incident comes hours after Jammu and Kashmir police said they have busted a major “white-collar” inter-state terror module and arrested eight suspects, including a lady doctor. The joint teams of Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana police also seized a whopping 2,900kg of bomb-making material, including around 350kg of explosive agent ammonium nitrate, during their raids in Haryana’s Faridabad and Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag. — THE STATESMAN/ANN