There are still dozens of serious injuries
An explosion in a car killed at least ten people near a metro station in the historic Red Fort monument, in Delhi, northern India, this Monday, according to a hospital source.
More than 30 other people were “severely injured”, said Manish Kumar Jha, a doctor at the local Lok Nayak hospital. “Many are not in a position to recover,” he told reporters in the capital.
Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the explosion, which is not yet known.
Earlier in the day, a “slow-moving” vehicle stopped near a red traffic light at around 6:42 pm local time (1:11 pm in mainland Portugal), Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha told reporters.
“There was an explosion in that vehicle, the passengers of the vehicle and people in the surrounding vehicles were affected,” Golcha said. At least six vehicles and three rickshaws were set on fire, Reuters reported, citing Delhi’s deputy fire chief.
Emergency crews arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire after receiving a call at 6:55 pm local time, Sumit Kumar, a Delhi fire official, told CNN. Survivors were taken to a nearby hospital.
Authorities will analyze images from surveillance cameras near the blast site, according to Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, who will visit the site of the attack.
“We are investigating the blast from all angles,” added Golcha, the Delhi police commissioner. “The situation is being monitored regularly.”
Images from the scene after the explosion showed a crowd of motorcyclists and passersby running towards the scene, where huge orange flames rose into the dark sky. Residents spoke of a loud bang that echoed through their neighborhood in Delhi.
“We heard a big noise, our windows shook,” a resident who declined to be identified told Indian broadcaster NDTV, according to Reuters.
Another resident saw the flames from his house. “There was a loud explosion. I live nearby,” Rajdhar Pandey told CNN affiliate CNN News-18.
The Red Fort, known in India as Lal Qila, is a 17th-century Mughal-era fort located in the old city and visited by tourists throughout the year, according to Reuters.
