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PM Modi takes stock of Delhi Red Fort blast, speaks to Amit Shah
The explosion in a car near the Red Fort metro station killed at least 8 people and injured 12 others.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Home Minister Amit Shah and took stock of the situation after an explosion in a car near Delhi's Red Fort metro station killed at least eight persons and injured 12 others, government sources told HT.
The explosion took place near Gate No.1 of the Lal Qila metro station, Delhi Fire Services said, adding that they received a call about the incident at around 7 pm. Deputy Chief Fire Officer AK Malik said that seven fire tenders were sent to the spot immediately, adding that the blaze was brought under control at 7:29 PM. Follow Red Fort blast live updates
In a post on X, PM Modi extended condolences to those who lost their lives in the blast near Red Fort.
"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," he wrote.
Before PM's call, it was also reported that immediately after the blast, Shah spoke with the Delhi Police commissioner.
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Teams from the National Investigation Agency, National Security Guard, and the forensic department are also present at the spot.
What Amit Shah said
Speaking to news agency ANI, Home Minister Amit Shah informed that the blast occurred in a Hyundai i20 car at the Subash Marg traffic signal near Red Fort.
"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," he said.
Shah added that the NSG and NIA teams, along with the forensic team, have begun their thorough investigation into the incident, adding that orders have also been given to examine all the 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. 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," he added.
What Delhi Police said
Delhi Police chief Satish Golcha told reporters that he is in touch with the Home Minister and is briefing him regularly on the situation. “Today, at around 6.52 PM, a slow-moving vehicle stopped at the red light. An explosion happened in that vehicle, and due to the explosion, nearby vehicles were also damaged,” the commissioner said.
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"All agencies, FSL, NIA, are here... Some people have died, and some have been injured in the incident. The situation is being monitored. The Home Minister has also called us, and information is being shared with him from time to time," Golcha added.
A senior Delhi Police officer also said that the explosion happened in a moving car on the road. "There is no crater at the spot so cannot say if it is a bomb blast. Also no pellet/splinter injuries reported till now, which is most common in bomb blasts," the officer added.
