Deadly Car Blast Near Red Fort in New Delhi Kills 13, Injures 20
Indian authorities have vowed to “hunt down” those responsible for the worst attack on the capital in more than a decade, after a car explosion in Delhi on Monday killed at least 13 people and injured more than 20. Security forces have been placed on high alert across major states and cities as investigators launched a probe into the cause of the b
last. The powerful explosion occurred at 6:52 pm (13:52 GMT) in a crowded neighbourhood during the evening rush hour. Delhi police said the blast originated from a moving Hyundai i20 car. “A slow-moving vehicle stopped at a red light. An explosion happened in that vehicle, and nearby vehicles were also damaged,” Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha told reporters. Images from the scene showed shattered windows, mangled vehicles, and fire and smoke rising from burning cars. Police later detained the original owner of the car, Mohammad Salman, in Gurugram, Haryana. Salman had purchased the vehicle in 2013 and later sold it to another man in New Delhi, who recently sold it again. Both individuals have been arrested, though the car remained registered in Salman’s name. Delhi police have invoked India’s primary counterterrorism law, registering a case under Sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), along with provisions of the Explosives Act. While the cause of the blast is still under investigation, officials are treating it as a potential act of terrorism. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that those responsible “will not be spared.”