New Delhi: A newly released CCTV footage has captured the exact moment when cars went up in flames during Monday evening’s blast near the Red Fort in central Delhi.
The footage, shared by the Delhi Police, shows a massive fireball engulfing several vehicles halted at the Netaji Subhash Marg traffic signal, close to Lal Qila Metro Station Gate No 1. The explosion left 12 people dead and over 20 injured, while multiple cars were gutted in the blaze.
CCTV Captures Moment of Impact
The clip gives a full view of the blast site, showing cars lined up at the red light seconds before the explosion. As the signal remained red, a sudden flash erupts, quickly turning into a huge ball of fire that engulfs nearby vehicles. Flames and smoke fill the intersection as bystanders are seen fleeing in panic.
The blast took place at around 6:52 pm inside a Hyundai i20 car, scattering debris and mangled vehicles across the busy junction. Emergency services reached the spot soon after, as police and firefighters worked to douse the flames and cordon off the area.
Investigation Points to Explosive Error
Initial assessments by intelligence agencies suggest the explosion may have been accidental, triggered when suspects handling the explosives panicked. Sources told NDTV that Dr Umar Mohammad, the registered owner of the vehicle, may have detonated the device near Red Fort after two key members of their module, Dr Mujammil Shakeel and Dr Adeel Rather, were detained earlier that day.
According to preliminary reports, it is believed that ammonium nitrate was used in the blast, the same substance recovered from Faridabad, Haryana, hours before the explosion. The Jammu and Kashmir Police had earlier seized nearly 3,000 kg of explosives from two residential buildings in Faridabad.
Arrests and Ongoing Probe
Seven people have so far been arrested in connection with the case, with three doctors from Faridabad’s Al-Falah University taken into custody on Tuesday.
Officials said further forensic testing and interrogation are underway to determine the full extent of the network and whether the blast was linked to the explosives seized earlier in the day.
