Delhi blast: PM Modi speaks to Amit Shah as powerful explosion kills 8 near Red Fort
Delhi blast: Additionally, Shah has also held a telephonic conversation with Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha in this regard. He is also in touch with Intelligence Bureau (IB) director Tapan Kumar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke with Union Home Minister Amit Shah after a powerful explosion inside a car near the Red Fort Metro Station in New Delhi, claiming eight lives and injuring many others.
Additionally, Shah has also held a telephonic conversation with Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha in this regard. He is also in touch with Intelligence Bureau (IB) director Tapan Kumar.
According to Delhi Police, the explosion occurred in a 'slow-moving vehicle', adding that a probe is currently underway. "Some deaths happened, few people got injured. The situation is being regularly monitored. The home minister is being regularly briefed," Golcha said after arriving at the spot.
Meanwhile, teams of National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and National Security Guard (NSG) have arrived at the spot.
Panic grips in Delhi's Red Fort
Panic gripped the area as several vehicles were seen damaged at the spot following the loud explosion. An injured eyewitness, who suffered a wound on his forehead, said the explosion appeared to have originated from a car, probably a Swift.
There was a Swift car in front of my auto. There was something in that car that suddenly blasted, he said. Another witness said, "I was at the gurdwara when I heard a strong sound. We couldn't make out what it was, it was that loud."
A number of vehicles nearby were completely damaged, he added.
Sanjay Bhargaw, 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. There was chaos in the market as people started running, he shared.
The blast came hours after the recovery of around 360 kg of suspected ammonium nitrate and a cache of arms and ammunition from a Kashmiri doctor's rented accommodation in nearby Faridabad. Haryana Police, in coordination with their Jammu and Kashmir counterparts, arrested Dr Muzammil Ganaie from Faridabad's Dhauj area recovered explosive materials, weapons, and timers from his rented house.