Over nine people were killed and 20 injured on Monday when a car exploded near the historic Red Fort in India’s capital, Delhi, police said, a rare blast in the heavily guarded city of more than 30 million people.
Major train stations across India, the financial capital Mumbai and the state of Uttar Pradesh, which borders Delhi, were all put on high alert, authorities said.
“All angles” were being investigated and security agencies would come to a conclusion soon, Federal Home Minister Amit Shah said.
A previous owner of the car, named only as Salman, was arrested after the blast, NDTV reported, without going into more details. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
Car stopped at red light
Mangled bodies and the wreckage of several cars could be seen on a congested street near a metro station in the old quarter of Delhi, as police poured into the area to secure it and push back gathering crowds.
“A slow-moving vehicle stopped at a red light. An explosion happened in that vehicle, and due to the explosion, nearby vehicles were also damaged,” Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha told reporters.
He said the blast occurred just before 7 p.m. (1330 GMT).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to those who had lost loved ones.
“May the injured recover at the earliest. Those affected are being assisted by authorities,” Modi posted on X.
