fAn explosion was reported near the Red Fort in the Indian capital of New Delhi on Monday, in which at least eight people were killed and at least 20 people were injured, local television channels reported.
The exact cause of the blast was being investigated, city police spokesperson Sanjay Tyagi said. However, India’s financial capital of Mumbai as well as its most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, which borders Delhi, went on high security alert after the blast, local media reported.
“Eight people have been killed in the explosion,” Tyagi said.
Mangled bodies and the wreckage of several cars could be seen on a congested street near a metro station in the old quarter of Delhi, as police poured into the area to secure it and push back gathering crowds.
Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha said the blast took place minutes before 7pm (6:30pm PKT).
“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. “The situation is being monitored.”
At least six vehicles and three autorickshaws caught fire, Delhi’s deputy fire chief said, adding that the flames had been doused by firefighting teams.
“We heard a big sound, our windows shook,” one resident, who did not give a name, told NDTV.
Police tried to clear crowds that gathered around the site of the incident.
Visuals on local media showed flames and smoke billowing from more than one vehicle in what was described as a congested street located near a metro station in the old part of Delhi.
According to Indian outlet NDTV, the fire brigade was on site, while The Times of India reported that the fire caused by the explosion engulfed three to four other vehicles.
Local TV channels reported that the cities of New Delhi and Mumbai were placed on high alert.
Earlier, Indian media claimed that 2,900 kilogrammes of bomb-making material were seized during a raid in India’s Haryana area.
“Officials confirmed that 360kg of suspected ammonium nitrate, along with 2,900kg of IED (improvised explosive device)-making material, including chemicals, detonators, wires, and other bomb-making components, were seized,” The Times of India claimed in its report, adding that two people were arrested.
The Red Fort, known locally as Lal Qila, is a sprawling, 17th-century Mughal-era edifice melding Persian and Indian architectural styles, and is visited by tourists throughout the year.
The prime minister addresses the nation from the fort’s ramparts every year on August 15, India’s independence day.