An image has emerged showing a masked driver at the wheel of a white Hyundai i20 minutes before the explosion that rocked the area adjacent to the historic Red Fort in Delhi on Monday evening, authorities said. The blast, which occurred in a busy public location during the evening rush hour, has so far claimed the lives of at least eight people and injured over a dozen others, according to police statements.
Initial investigations indicate that the suspected driver, identified as Mohammad Umar, a doctor employed at a medical college in Faridabad, may have been part of a larger terror module operating in the region. Sources say he is believed to have collaborated with two associates in carrying out the explosion. The vehicle was packed with a detonator and appears to have been armed with an explosive mixture of ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO), which accounts for the high intensity of the blast.
According to official statements, the Hyundai i20 was observed entering a parking area adjacent to the Red Fort and later moving slowly toward a red-light signal before detonating. Footage reviewed by investigators shows the car stopping at a traffic signal near the Red Fort Metro Station and exploding almost immediately thereafter. Nearby vehicles, including other cars and auto-rickshaws, were set ablaze by the force and resulting fire. The chaotic explosion shattered windows across the street, sent debris flying, and caused panic among pedestrians and bystanders.
Responding quickly to the scene, fire department crews and police cordoned off the area, extinguished vehicle fires, and began forensic and counter-terror investigations. The Delhi Police have already invoked the country’s anti-terror legislation and registered the case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) along with the Explosives Act, as investigators consider multiple angles including pre-meditated terror attack rather than accident.
Sources familiar with the probe reveal that Mohammad Umar was employed at the campus of Al Falah Medical College in Faridabad and had been under surveillance in connection with activities of the Faridabad terror module, which earlier in the day had been subjected to raids and arrests. It is believed that the blast may have been triggered as a panic-response to those prior arrests. According to the sources, Umar and his associates placed a detonator inside the parked car, then drove it toward the traffic signal before triggering the explosion.
The use of ANFO in the blast aligns with intelligence inputs about large cache recoveries of similar explosive materials in the wider region earlier on the same day, raising the possibility of interchange between terror modules active in the National Capital Region and neighbouring states. The presence of such precursor materials and the timing of the explosion at a prominent landmark have heightened concerns over urban terror vulnerabilities, especially in tourist-heavy and congested public spaces.
In the immediate aftermath, the Delhi administration raised the security alert level across major transport hubs, public gathering sites and city boundaries. The metro station adjacent to the Red Fort remains closed, traffic movement in the Old Delhi area has been restricted and checkpoints installed across nearby urban peripheries and neighbouring states. Authorities also issued advisories to metro rail users and visitors in key tourist zones to remain vigilant and avoid large gatherings until further notice.
Eyewitnesses described the moment of the blast as sudden and catastrophic. One resident reported: “The explosion felt like a bomb going off, then fire erupted everywhere, people were screaming and running for cover.” Emergency medical teams rushed the injured to nearby hospitals where doctors confirmed multiple casualties and grievous injuries. Relatives of victims protested at the hospital entrance, demanding immediate information about the deceased and the next of kin.
Authorities say forensic teams are collecting residue from the blast site, analysing fragments of the vehicle and explosives, and tracking CCTV footage to identify every stage of the vehicle’s movement and occupant history. Preliminary inquiry shows the car had arrived at the location several hours before the explosion, parked in a crowded lot and then moved slowly toward the traffic red-light before detonating. Investigators are also tracing the ownership chain of the vehicle, identifying whether the suspect driver purchased or leased the car and if accomplices remained in contact until moments before the explosion.
State and federal agencies are cooperating in the investigation, with the National Investigation Agency joining the probe. Home Ministry officials have convened meetings to review national security implications, especially given the link to the Faridabad-based terror module and earlier explosive seizures. Officials noted that no angle is being ruled out, including internal terrorist networks, foreign assistance, or local radicalisation.
The incident has stirred widespread concern about public safety in Delhi’s heritage and tourist districts, which operate under heavy pedestrian traffic and mixed urban mobility. The Red Fort area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a venue for major national events, remains under enhanced security cover. While visitors have been temporarily barred for safety checks, authorities reassured that once immediate danger is ruled out, the landmark will reopen under stringent surveillance.
As investigations continue, authorities emphasise that any premature speculation about motive or identity is being avoided until forensic and intelligence outcomes are complete. The government has appealed for calm among residents and tourists, warning against circulation of unverified information that could hamper operational efforts and public safety.
The broader significance of the explosion lies in its potential implications for urban counter-terror strategy, explosive precursor detection, vehicle-borne threats and the vulnerability of high-density public areas. Experts note that the combination of an occupied car, manufactured explosive material and strategic landmark target underscores evolving threat models that security agencies must address.
In summary, the deadly car explosion near the Red Fort that killed eight and wounded many more is under intensive investigation, suspected to be orchestrated by a doctor-suspect connected to a known terror module from Faridabad, employing ammonium nitrate-fuel oil explosives in a vehicle driven into a crowded tourist area. Authorities at the national, state and local levels are coordinating forensic analysis, intelligence gathering and public safety measures as they work to unravel the full plot and prevent further incidents.
