A high-intensity blast in a parked Hyundai i20 car near the Red Fort Metro Station on Monday evening left at least 12 people dead, injuring over 20 and gutting several vehicles. The explosion triggered a fire that quickly spread to nearby cars. The incident occurred near Gate Number 1 of the station. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the families of each of those killed. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing the incident, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah instructing the agency to submit a report “at the earliest”. The instruction to the NIA came after Shah presided over two back-to-back high-level security review meetings on Tuesday. Agency sources also revealed that the bomb was premature and not fully developed. The explosion did not create a crater, and no shrapnel or projectiles were found. The vehicle was still moving when the blast occurred, and the IED was not equipped to cause heavy casualties. Meanwhile, leaders from across the world, including the US, China, Japan and Israel expressed grief and shock over the loss of lives in the incident.
