At least eight people have been killed in a car explosion near the Red Fort in the Indian city of Delhi, police say.
Local television channels reported that at least 20 people were wounded in the blast on Monday.
It was not immediately clear what caused the blast. The neighbouring Uttar Pradesh region and India’s financial capital Mumbai were placed on high security alert in the wake of the blast, local media reported.
Local media said the incident took place near the Red Fort metro station.
In videos shared online, the wreckage of several cars could be seen on a congested street in the old quarter of Delhi, as police poured into the area to secure it and push back gathering crowds.
The explosion caused six vehicles and three auto-rickshaws to catch fire, according to New Delhi’s deputy fire chief.
New Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha said that the blast happened shortly before 7pm (1330 GMT).
“A slow-moving vehicle stopped at a red light. An explosion happened in that vehicle, and due to the explosion, nearby vehicles were also damaged,” he told reporters, adding that the situation was being monitored.
The 17th-century Red Fort, which was formerly an imperial palace, is a major tourist attraction.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, independent journalist Amit Baruah described the area as “one of the most crowded parts of the city”, something he said made it “vulnerable” to attacks.
Baruah added that until Monday there had not been a similar incident in New Delhi for a long time. “It shatters the calm of the capital city after a long time,” he said.
“This is an incident that will definitely cause concern to ordinary people living not just in that area but around,” he noted.
Source: Al Jazeera
