Explosion near the Red Fort landmark was so loud and intense it was felt several kilometres away
F
ew monuments symbolise Delhi’s past splendour than its grand, 17th-century Red Fort, once the imperial domain of Mughal emperors. The fortress now stands as a museum frozen in time but the surrounding area remains the thriving heart of the Indian capital, where dried fruit and vegetable vendors jostle for space alongside stalls selling clothes, suitcases and shoes.
Across the street are the narrow lanes of the famed Chandi Chowk bazaar. By nightfall, the roads are chock-full of rickshaws and loudly honking cars.
Just before 7pm on Monday, these familiar scenes were ripped apart when a white Hyundai car came to a stop at a red light then exploded with a boom so loud and intense it was felt several kilometres away. The car became an inferno, erupting into flames that went high into the air.
