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The explosion near Red Fort on Monday evening (Nov 10) killed at least eight people and injured 20.
Police officers and forensic technicians work at the site of an explosion in the old quarters of Delhi, India, on Nov 10, 2025. (Photo: Reuters/Adnan Abidi)
NEW DELHI: Indian police are probing a deadly car blast in the capital Delhi under a stringent law used to fight "terrorism", television channels reported on Tuesday (Nov 11), citing a case registered by the police.
The law, called the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, is India's main anti-terrorism law. It is used to investigate and prosecute acts related to "terrorism" and activities that threaten the sovereignty and integrity of the country.
The explosion near the historic Red Fort on Monday evening killed at least eight people and injured 20, a rare blast in the heavily guarded city of more than 30 million people, sending several states and key facilities into high alert.
Federal Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday that "all angles" were being investigated and security agencies would come to a conclusion soon.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to the families of those killed, and said he had "reviewed the situation" with Shah.
"Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in the blast in Delhi ... may the injured recover at the earliest," Modi said in a statement.
Home Minister of India Amit Shah visits the site of an explosion in the old quarters of Delhi, India, on Nov 10, 2025. (Photo: Reuters/Adnan Abidi)
Police and security personnel stand at blast site in front of charred vehicles following an explosion near the Red Fort, in the old quarters of Delhi, on Nov 10, 2025. (Photo: AFP/Sajjad Hussain)
Police said a slow-moving car, which stopped at a traffic signal, exploded just before 7pm. Nearby vehicles were also badly damaged.
The explosion left behind mangled bodies and the wreckage of several cars on a congested street near a metro station in the old quarter of Delhi.
The Red Fort, known locally as Lal Qila, is a sprawling, 17th-century Mughal-era edifice that melds Persian and Indian architectural styles. It is visited by tourists throughout the year.
The prime minister also addresses the nation from the fort's ramparts every year on Aug 15, India's Independence Day.
ANTI-TERRORISM AGENCIES ON SITE
Both forensic and anti-terrorism agencies were deployed at the blast site, while security was increased across New Delhi.
At dawn on Tuesday, AFP reporters at the site said police white sheets had been erected around the charred remains of vehicles overnight.
Eyewitnesses described to AFP how the car exploded in traffic and how people caught up in the surge of flames were set on fire.
"I saw the car explode while it was moving," said Dharmindra Dhaga, 27.
"People were on fire and we tried to save them ... Cars and people were burning - people inside the cars were burning," he added.
"I was telling the public to save them, rescue them, and get them out. The public was busy making videos and taking photos."
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said in a statement that the deaths from the explosion were "heartbreaking".
The US State Department said its "hearts are with those affected by the terrible explosion", and that it would "continue to closely monitor the situation".
