Delhi Red Fort Blast Kills 8: These Are Next Steps For Investigation

The dust yet to settle on the blast near Delhi's Red Fort, the investigators are already focussing on the next steps -- determine the nature of the explosive and cast a wide net to zero in on the attackers. The massive blast inside a Hyundai i-20 car near the Red Fort metro station had left 8 people dead and 24 injured. A huge area bore the impact -- with mangled bodies and vehicles strewn all over.

Sources said apart from forensic tests of the explosives, the police will look at CCTV footage from across the area, call records from mobile towers, question eye witnesses, and check all alerts from intelligence agencies.

The blast comes months after Operation Sindoor -- India's retaliation to the terror attack on innocent tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. While the government is yet to clarify if this is a terror attack, the nature of the next steps outlines makes it clear that the authorities are not taking any chances. 

Not only Delhi, other metros including Mumbai have also been put on high alert. 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has ordered a coordinated multiple agency investigation in the case. The agencies involved include the National Investigation Agency, National Security Guard, Forensic Science Laboratory, and the Delhi Police. The paramilitary forces have also been called in. 

All the concerned agencies have been asked to "conduct a thorough probe into the cause and nature of the explosion and to submit a detailed report at the earliest," officials said.

The police have said the explosion happened in a slow-moving vehicle near the Red Fort traffic signal at 6.52 pm. Delhi Police chief Satish Golcha told reporters that there were people inside the i-20 car.

Mr Shah is visiting the Lok Narayan Jai Prakash hospital where the injured have been taken. He is likely to visit the spot, which is located nearby, later.

"Within 10 minutes of receiving the information of the blast, teams from the Delhi Crime Branch and Delhi Special Branch arrived at the spot. The NSG and NIA teams, along with the FSL, have now begun a thorough investigation. Orders have been given to examine all nearby CCTV cameras," Shah said.

"We are exploring all possibilities and will conduct a thorough investigation, taking all possibilities into account. All options will be investigated immediately and we will present the results to the public. I will be heading to the spot shortly and will also visit the hospital immediately," he added.