Delhi blast (Agency photo)
NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Monday detained the owner of a car in which an explosion occurred near the Red Fort, an official told news agency PTI.Eight people were killed on Monday evening in a blast near Gate Number 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station. Delhi Police, along with teams from the Fire Department, the Forensic unit, the National Security Guard and the National Investigation Agency, are at the site to conduct inquiries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah reviewed the situation soon after the incident.Addressing the media, Shah said the explosion took place in a Hyundai i20 at the Subhash Marg traffic signal near the Red Fort, injuring some pedestrians and damaging multiple vehicles.Shah also visited the blast site with the Delhi top cop. Before his visit to the explosion site, the home minister visited the LNJP hospital to meet the blast victims.Twenty-four people were injured in the blast that took place on a busy evening when the area was milling with people. The injured were taken to the LNJP hospital, a few kilometres away.Hours after the incident, Shah, accompanied by senior police officers and doctors, met the injured at the hospital. He visited several wards of the hospital and interacted with the injured.Immediately after the blast, the home minister spoke to the Delhi police chief and the director of the Intelligence Bureau to take stock of the situation. He also directed the chiefs of the National Security Guard (NSG), National Investigation Agency (NIA) and forensic sciences to send expert teams to the blast site to assist the probe and collect evidence. Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha has said that the situation is being monitored and information “is being shared with the home minister from time to time”.”Today at around 6.52 pm, a slow-moving vehicle stopped at the red light. An explosion happened in that vehicle, and due to the explosion, nearby vehicles were also damaged. All agencies, FSL, NIA, are here… Some people have died, and some have been injured in the incident. The situation is being monitored. The Home Minister has also called us, and information is being shared with him from time to time,” Golcha told news agency ANI.
