Old Delhi Explosion 💥: Chaos, Fear & Tragedy 🔥

World News

A powerful explosion ripped through a crowded neighborhood in New Delhi late Monday night, resulting in at least thirteen deaths and over twenty injuries. The blast originated in a moving Hyundai i20 car, which had stopped at a red light, and prompted a swift response from authorities. Police quickly detained the car’s original owner, Mohammad Salman, who had purchased the vehicle in 2013 and subsequently sold it, along with the person to whom Salman sold the car, leading to a total of three arrests. Despite the arrests, the vehicle remained registered in Salman’s name and bore a Haryana license plate. Responding to the incident, India’s counterterrorism laws were invoked, with a case registered under the Unlawful Activities Act and the Explosives Act. The exact cause of the blast remains under investigation, but officials are treating the event as a potential act of terrorism. The explosion occurred in Old Delhi, near the historic Red Fort Metro Station – an area renowned for its Mughal-era significance and its connection to India’s independence. In 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, delivered his Independence Day speech from the fort’s ramparts. Adding to the heightened security situation, police increased checks at railway stations and carefully inspected incoming vehicles. Just hours before the explosion, police had arrested a Kashmiri doctor from Faridabad, along with seven other suspects, after discovering a large quantity of explosives and other materials at his home. Investigators are working to determine if there’s any connection between this arrest and the New Delhi explosion, and security across the city was dramatically increased. The scene was one of utter horror. Videos circulating online depicted a chaotic trail of wrecked cars scattered along a crowded street, and fire officials confirmed that the blast affected six vehicles and three auto-rickshaws. Witnesses described a scene of devastation. One man, Irfan, recounted, “Suddenly, there was a sound of a blast. We came running, and we didn’t get too close because we were scared. We saw someone’s hand on the ground. They were completely blown up.” Another witness, Nazish Malik, spoke of seeing a mangled steering wheel and expressed deep anguish, saying, “I just cannot express, can’t imagine how their families will deal with this.” Families were desperately searching for loved ones; one man reported that his brother-in-law, an e-rickshaw driver, was located at the police post near the Red Fort and admitted to Lok Nayak Hospital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had been briefed, and condolences were offered. International sympathy followed, with Israel’s ambassador, the Egyptian embassy, and the United Kingdom and United States governments all expressing their sympathy. This incident is particularly poignant considering Delhi’s history of security threats. Previous incidents, such as the September 2011 briefcase bomb outside the Delhi High Court and the September 2008 bombings – including one in crowded markets , have highlighted a concerning pattern. India has faced a long history of attacks by armed groups, often linked to the struggle for Kashmir’s independence, frequently orchestrated by Pakistan-based groups and Pakistan’s intelligence services. Notable past attacks include the November 2008 Mumbai attack by Lashkar-e-Taiba , a series of bombings in Ahmedabad in July 2008 , and the May 2008 attack in Jaipur, blamed on the Indian Mujahideen. Other incidents included the February 2007 bombing of the Samjhuta Express , and the devastating March 1993 attack in Mumbai . The February 2007 bombing of the Samjhuta Express, which connected India and Pakistan, tragically resulted in the deaths of seventy people, primarily Pakistani civilians, and authorities investigated the Abhinav Bharat Hindu group. Significantly, in 2019, all the accused in this case were ultimately acquitted under the leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Malegaon attacks of September 2006, initially attributed to the Abhinav Bharat group, were later cleared of charges. Furthermore, in May 1991, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was killed by a suicide bomber from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam during a political rally, resulting in fifteen fatalities.