Eight killed after explosion near Red Fort; shocks Delhi

Tuesday, 11 November 2025 03:28 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The explosion near Red Fort New Delhi triggered a fire that damaged several vehicles parked nearby (Pic credit: AFP)

BBC: An explosion in a car near Delhi’s landmark Red Fort yesterday, which has reportedly killed at least eight people, has put the capital and neighbouring States on high alert.

The cause is still being investigated, but the scale and location of the blast have revived fears of the urban bombings that scarred India in the mid-2000s.

The last major attacks in Delhi took place in September 2008, when a series of bombs tore through busy markets in two separate incidents, killing around 20 people. Those and similar blasts in Jaipur, Ahmedabad, and Bangalore that year were blamed on Islamist militant groups and a shadowy students’ group.

Those and similar blasts in Jaipur, Ahmedabad, and Bangalore that year were blamed on the Indian Mujahideen – a home-grown militant network of radicalised young Indian Muslims.

Yesterday’s blast will trigger unease and a sweeping security response across the capital.

Earlier, Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha has told reporters that the incident happened at around 18:52 local time (13:52 GMT), when a slow-moving vehicle stopped at a red light before it exploded, damaging nearby vehicles.

“Some people have died, and some have been injured,” he said, without confirming numbers. The situation is being monitored, he added, and the emergency services are in touch with the Government.

The iconic Red Fort is a high-profile landmark in Delhi.

Thousands of tourists, both domestic and foreign, visit the 17th century monument every day.

It is less than five miles from Indian Parliament and just a few metres away from the extremely busy trading hub of the Chandani Chowk area.

It is also the same monument from where Indian Prime Ministers give their Independence Day speeches every year on 15 August.

For these reasons, the Red Fort is one of the most recognisable monuments in India. And that is why the news of a blast near the monument has shocked many.