Historic Delhi District Rocked by Deadly Car Blast
A powerful car bomb explosion tore through a busy street near the historic Red Fort in Old Delhi on Monday evening, leaving a scene of death and devastation. The blast occurred just before 7pm when a white Hyundai car stopped at a traffic light and detonated with tremendous force.
The explosion was so intense it was felt several kilometres away and momentarily turned the sky red. The vehicle erupted into a massive fireball, setting nearby cars and rickshaws ablaze, many with drivers still inside them.
Eyewitnesses Describe Scene of Carnage
Those present at the scene described absolute horror as the blast ripped through the crowded market area. Mohsin Ali, a local worker, told The Hindu newspaper: "Rickshaws blew up, body parts of people scattered during the explosion and hardly anyone near the vehicle could be rescued."
Ali reported pulling at least three charred bodies from vehicles and placing them on a rickshaw to be taken for medical treatment. He described seeing people on the road with their legs split open and suffering injuries to their hands and other body parts.
The streets around the 17th century Red Fort were particularly crowded due to the ongoing festival season, which brings increased numbers of people to the area for wedding shopping and fairground rides. As the explosion struck, panic ensued as crowds ran screaming in all directions.
Festival Crowds Caught in Inferno
Shamim, who operates a clothing stall in the nearby market, witnessed the terrifying fireball. "We were so scared, there was a huge fireball up in the air," he said. "The entire place was lit up because of the flames."
The ferris wheel at the fairground outside the Red Fort also caught fire, leaving people trapped on the ride screaming for help. Giriraj Singh, who was in a nearby temple when the blast occurred, described running outside to find pieces of flesh, car parts and broken glass everywhere amid smoke and flames.
Prem Sharma, who runs food and juice stalls near the Red Fort metro station, reported that one of his workers was burned in the explosion. "Both my stalls were overturned by the impact," he said. "I saw a couple of body parts fly out from the car and then I ran from there."
Hospital Mortuary Deals with Gruesome Aftermath
At the nearby Lok Nayak hospital, medical staff fought to save the lives of those suffering from severe burns while family members desperately searched for missing relatives. One woman expressed the anguish of many: "We just want to know if our family members are alive."
The force of the explosion meant many victims were charred beyond recognition, forcing authorities to work through the night to identify remains. A worker at the hospital mortuary described the scene as "gruesome," telling the Press Trust of India that many bodies were "beyond recognition" and some were "just lumps of flesh."
Among those confirmed dead were a taxi driver and an 18-year-old who worked in a cosmetics shop in Old Delhi. The worker added that many victims had their internal organs torn apart or missing, making identification extremely difficult in what he described as a truly devastating incident.
