The blast, suspected to be a vehicle-borne IED, set multiple cars ablaze and sent panic through Chandni Chowk’s crowded market streets.
By PC Bureau
November 10, 2025, New Delhi: In a chilling act of urban terrorism, a powerful car bomb exploded near Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station on Monday evening, killing at least eight people and injuring over a dozen more. The blast, which rocked the Chandni Chowk area around 7:00 PM, unfolded just steps away from one of India’s most iconic and heavily guarded heritage sites, plunging the capital into shock and triggering a massive security lockdown.
The Blast: A Fiery Inferno in the Shadow of History
The explosion ripped through a parked vehicle—believed to be an Eco van or similar model—outside the metro station on the Violet Line. Witnesses described a deafening roar that shattered windows, toppled streetlights, and sent a fireball surging through the narrow lanes of Old Delhi.
“I was walking home when the ground shook like an earthquake,” said Rajesh Kumar, a local vendor whose stall was destroyed. “There was fire everywhere—people screaming, glass flying. I saw a severed hand on the road. It was horrific.”
Within minutes, the Delhi Fire Services dispatched seven tenders, containing the blaze by 7:29 PM. But the intensity of the detonation—suspected to involve improvised explosive devices (IEDs)—left a trail of devastation: four vehicles incinerated, shopfronts gutted, and debris flung up to 150 meters.
Thick plumes of smoke could be seen as far as Jama Masjid, while flames reflected off the historic red sandstone walls of the 17th-century Mughal fort. Though the Red Fort itself escaped damage, Metro gates were sealed and surrounding areas cordoned off as security forces swept for secondary explosives.
🚨 Breaking: A massive car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort has left at least 8 dead and several vehicles on fire. Authorities have sounded a high alert across the city.#RedFort pic.twitter.com/z7AT0K0aVz
— Bhargav Jani (@IndianBhargav) November 10, 2025
Casualties: A Night of Grief and Chaos
The Lok Nayak Hospital (LNJP) confirmed eight fatalities by late evening, with victims including two street vendors, a young couple, and four pedestrians caught in the blast radius. The occupants of the targeted vehicle remain unidentified pending forensic analysis.
Between 12 and 24 people were injured, several suffering from burns, shrapnel wounds, and fractures. Three remain in critical condition, including a child with severe blast trauma.
“Eight were brought dead on arrival; others are under observation,” said a senior LNJP doctor as ambulances lined the corridors.
Nearby Guru Tegh Bahadur (GTB) Hospital handled overflow cases, while Delhi Police set up emergency helplines for relatives searching for missing loved ones.
| Casualty Breakdown | Details |
| Confirmed Deaths | 8 (4 pedestrians, 2 vendors, 2 in vehicle) |
| Injured | 12–24 (3 critical: burns, shrapnel) |
| Hospitals | LNJP (primary), GTB (secondary) |
| Demographics | Mix of locals, commuters, and vendors; 1 child injured |
The blast’s timing—during peak evening rush hour amid Diwali shopping crowds—**amplified its toll. Chandni Chowk, one of Asia’s busiest market zones, witnesses over 100,000 daily visitors, making it a prime soft target. Social media was flooded overnight with pleas for help and images of destruction.
“Delhi feels violated tonight,” one resident wrote on X. “Our hearts are with the victims.
Blast in a car in Chandani Chowk outside Red Fort#Delhi on high alert@DelhiPolice hasn’t confirmed the type of blast
8 people dead & over 12 injured pic.twitter.com/Nh69DC1wzb— Gautam Agarwal 🇮🇳 (@gauagg) November 10, 2025
Emergency Response: A City Mobilizes
Within minutes, the Delhi Police sealed a 2-km radius, deploying over 500 personnel, including Special Cell operatives and bomb disposal squads. The National Security Guard (NSG) and National Investigation Agency (NIA) were flown in by 8:00 PM to secure the perimeter and scan for secondary threats.
Metro services were briefly suspended before being restored an hour later. “Passenger safety remains paramount,” a DMRC spokesperson said, confirming limited disruptions.
By 9:00 PM, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had convened an emergency meeting with intelligence and counter-terror agencies. A nationwide alert was issued, with heightened checks at airports and railway stations in Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, informed en route from an official engagement, condemned the “heinous attack” and vowed “swift justice” in a late-night post on X.
Preliminary forensics suggest a vehicle-borne IED (VBIED) packed with ammonium nitrate-based explosives, indicating professional execution. CCTV footage captured the van idling moments before the blast
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Possible Motives: Echoes of a Wider Threat
The attack comes just hours after Delhi Police dismantled a terror module in Faridabad, seizing 2,900 kg of bomb-making chemicals, AK-47s, and ammunition allegedly linked to Jammu and Kashmir-based groups.
Investigators suspect a retaliatory strike by Pakistan-backed outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) or Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), known for deploying high-yield explosives in crowded zones. No organization has yet claimed responsibility, but intelligence agencies had issued heightened alerts following the Faridabad seizure.
“The sophistication of this blast points to trained operatives,” a senior IPS officer said on condition of anonymity.
Political leaders across parties condemned the attack. Rahul Gandhi called for a “white paper on
On X, users reacted with horror and disbelief.
“NSG, NIA on site; Delhi sealed. Praying for the victims,” wrote one.
“Blast near Red Fort hours after cops bust a bomb factory nearby—what irony,” another posted.
A City’s Resolve: History Endures
From the 2001 Parliament attack to the 2011 Delhi High Court bombing, the capital has endured terror before. Yet this strike, at the doorstep of the Red Fort, cuts deeper—a reminder of Delhi’s vulnerability and resilience alike.
As dawn broke over the barricaded streets, forensic teams sifted through charred wreckage while families lit diyas for the departed. The death toll may rise, but so too does the spirit of a city that refuses to yield.
Delhi mourns—but also stands guard.
