Around 6.52 pm, a slow-moving vehicle stopped at a traffic signal near Delhi's iconic Red Fort and then exploded, killing 13 people and injuring at least 24.
Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha told reporters that due to the explosion and resultant fire, nearby vehicles were also damaged. Visuals showed nearby vehicles in a mangled state, while shattered glass lay on the road.
Golcha added that the forensics team, National Investigation Agency and National Security Guard are on the spot. "The Home Minister (Amit Shah) has called us, and information is being shared with him from time to time," he said.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer AK Malik told ANI that the fire resulting from the blast was brought under control at 7.29 pm, adding that seven units were initially rushed to the spot.
Visuals also showed body parts scattered around the blast site. "Six cars, two e-rickshaws and one autorickshaw were gutted in the fire," a fire department official told PTI.
Sanjay Bhargav, president of the Chandni Chowk Traders' Association, whose shop is about 800 metres away from the incident site, said the entire building shook due to the blast. Another eyewitness said, "I was at the gurdwara when I heard a strong sound. We couldn't make out what it was, it was that loud."
The blast in the crowded area came on a day around 360 kilograms of suspected ammonium nitrate and a cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from a Kashmiri doctor's rented accommodation in Haryana's Faridabad.
Delhi, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh are now on high alert.
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