Monday evening turned chaotic near Red Fort in Delhi, when a sudden explosion ripped through a car outside Gate No. 1 of the Metro Station around 6.40-6.45 pm. The blast claimed thirteen lives and injured several others, setting multiple vehicles—including cars, motorcycles, and e-rickshaws—on fire.
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“The blast was so loud that the buildings shook. We were so scared… there was a huge fireball in the air… the entire place was lit up because of the flames…,” Shamim, a jacket vendor in the Kabootar Market told Indian Express.
Witnesses Describe Scene of Panic and Devastation
Anuj, an eyewitness, recalled, “I was washing the utensils when the blast occurred. Pieces of the vehicles flew in the air. I was just five metres away… I’m grateful that I am alive.” Bhupinder Singh, 48, shared his close escape: “I was waiting at the signal in my car. The moment it turned green and we slowly started moving, there was a blast — just two cars ahead. We immediately ran out, leaving our mobile phones inside and rushed towards Bhagirath Palace to save our lives. The blast only occurred in one car but the impact was such that more cars went up in flames. The bumper of my car was also damaged. There was a heavy crowd in the market. Police officials were also stationed near the red light and were managing the crowd,” reported Indian Express.
Prem Sharma, 38, who runs food stalls nearby, said, “One of my workers was preparing an order when the blast happened. I was a little further down the road but saw the car go up in flames. My worker’s left hand got burnt, and both my stalls were overturned by the impact. I saw a couple of body parts fly out from the car and then ran from there. I was hiding behind the Metro station for some time, and came out only after the police arrived,” the report added.
A 12-year-old ragpicker also recounted, “I ran towards the sound to see what happened… I saw one car on fire… it had spread to other cars nearby… a bus caught fire and a tree was completely up in flames… I saw many bodies lying on the street. I saw a severed body… and a man who had been impaled by a rod… I ran away after seeing that.”
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Authorities have cordoned off the area, and police are investigating the blast while emergency responders work to assist the injured and control fires. |
