Statement from Modi cabinet vows justice for lives lost as death toll from explosion outside Red Fort rises to 12
India has confirmed it is treating the explosion that killed 12 people outside Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday as a “terror incident” perpetrated by “anti-national forces”.
The statement by the cabinet, led by the prime minister, Narendra Modi, confirmed mounting speculation that a terrorist attack was behind the blast that took place during peak time in one of the capital’s busiest areas and outside one of India’s major landmarks.
The force of the explosion, from a car that was driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic, threw bodies into the air and caused nearby vehicles to catch fire. By Wednesday, the number of dead rose to 12 after several people died from their injuries, while more than 30 others were wounded. It was the deadliest terrorist attack in Delhi for more than a decade.
The cabinet statement on Wednesday night condemned what it called a “dastardly and cowardly act that has led to the loss of innocent lives” and vowed justice for the lives lost.
