At least eight people were killed and 19 injured after a car exploded in Old Delhi near the Red Fort. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other senior officials pledged a rapid, thorough investigation and said those responsible will face justice. Forensic and anti-terror teams are scouring the scene while hospitals treat burn and blast victims. Authorities warned that casualty figures and the blast's cause remain unconfirmed pending forensic results.
Deadly Car Explosion Near Red Fort: India Vows Swift Justice as Probe Intensifies
At least eight people were killed and 19 injured after a car exploded in Old Delhi near the Red Fort. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other senior officials pledged a rapid, thorough investigation and said those responsible will face justice. Forensic and anti-terror teams are scouring the scene while hospitals treat burn and blast victims. Authorities warned that casualty figures and the blast's cause remain unconfirmed pending forensic results.
02:10 PM, 11/11/2025Security
Deadly car explosion near Red Fort prompts swift probe and vow of justice
A powerful car explosion tore through traffic in Old Delhi on Monday near the historic Red Fort, killing at least eight people and wounding 19, officials said. Crime-scene teams, forensic experts and anti-terror units continued to search the site early Tuesday as authorities worked to determine whether the blast was an attack.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told a conference in New Delhi that "the country's leading investigative agencies are conducting a swift and thorough inquiry into the incident" and added, "those responsible for this tragedy will be brought to justice, and will not be spared under any circumstances." Home Minister Amit Shah said investigators were "keeping all angles open" until forensic results are available.
Senior police official Raja Banthia said the explosion, which occurred close to the 17th-century Red Fort in the crowded Old Delhi quarter, is being probed under anti-terror laws, though authorities had not publicly confirmed the blast's cause. New Delhi's deputy chief fire officer AK Malik initially reported eight dead; the Press Trust of India later cited a higher toll of 12 that remained unverified by official sources.
'I saw the car explode while it was moving... People were on fire and we tried to save them,' said 27-year-old eyewitness Dharmindra Dhaga, describing frenzied scenes as bystanders filmed while emergency crews rushed victims to hospital.
Hospitals including Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) received a surge of burn and blast victims. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, before departing on a state visit to Bhutan, offered condolences and said "the whole nation stands with" the families of the victims.
If confirmed as an attack, the incident would be New Delhi's most serious since the April 22 Pahalgam assault in Indian-administered Kashmir that left 26 civilians dead and led to exchanges of fire between India and Pakistan in May. The last major attack in the capital occurred in September 2011, when a briefcase bomb outside the High Court killed at least 14 people.
Investigations are ongoing. Officials cautioned that casualty figures and other details remain subject to confirmation pending forensic analysis.