Red Fort Blast: In a chilling reminder of Delhi’s vulnerability, the Red Fort blast yesterday sent shockwaves across the city. New developments in the case reveal that CCTV footage has surfaced showing a white Hyundai i20 that exploded near the Red Fort, killing nine people and injuring at least 20 others. The vehicle, bearing registration number HR 26CE 7674, had reportedly been parked in a nearby lot for over two hours before the powerful blast.
Authorities have named Umar as the suspected driver, who is allegedly on the run in connection with an explosives case in Faridabad. Investigators are now examining potential connections between the explosion in Delhi and a thwarted terror plot discovered earlier that day.
A CCTV camera shows the vehicle entering the parking lot with the driver's hand resting on the window, while another photo shows him wearing a blue-and-black T-shirt.
The explosion took place around 6:52 p.m. at the Subhash Marg traffic signal, near Red Fort Metro Station, during the evening rush hour. The blast, which originated in the white Hyundai i20, triggered a chain reaction that engulfed several nearby vehicles in flames and sparked chaos across the congested Old Delhi stretch.
Police Commissioner Satish Golcha stated that the explosion happened when the slow-moving vehicle halted at the traffic light. Fire department officials reported receiving the initial emergency call at 6:55 pm, after which seven fire engines were dispatched to the location. The large flames and dense smoke were subdued after a two-hour effort.Scale of the explosion.
The powerful explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort set multiple vehicles ablaze, including five cars, four motorcycles, and three e-rickshaws. The impact was so intense that windows shattered in homes near Sis Ganj Gurdwara, nearly 500 metres away.
Delhi Police, the NIA, and FSL teams reached the site within minutes, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed that Crime Branch and Special Cell units arrived within ten minutes of the blast.
"I have spoken to the Delhi CP and Special Branch in charge. We are exploring all possibilities and will conduct a thorough investigation," Shah said.
A case has been filed at Kotwali Police Station under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Explosives Act, and applicable sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Officials are also probing whether the blast is linked to a foiled terror conspiracy in Faridabad earlier the same day, where a cache of explosives was seized. If confirmed as a terror-related attack, this would be Delhi's first major blast since the 2011 high court bombing.