A Hyundai i20 with Haryana registration was at the centre of a powerful explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday evening, according to sources. The blast killed eight people and left 20 others wounded, while flames engulfed 22 nearby vehicles, including an e-rickshaw.

Investigators said the car was originally registered under the name of Mohd Salman, who later sold it to a man identified as Nadeem. Salman has now been taken into custody by Haryana Police in Gurugram.

Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha described the sequence of events, saying, “Around 6:52 pm, a vehicle halted at the traffic signal. An explosion occurred inside the car, damaging several vehicles around it. Multiple casualties and injuries have been reported.”

He added that the situation is under constant watch and confirmed that Home Minister Amit Shah had contacted the police leadership. Shah has since briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer A.K. Malik told ANI that the blaze triggered by the explosion was brought under control by 7:29 pm after seven fire tenders were rushed to the location.

Confusion Over Vehicle Model

Preliminary reports indicate the blast likely originated in a Hyundai i20. However, some witnesses claimed the vehicle resembled a Maruti Swift Dzire. Officials say these discrepancies are expected in the early stages of the probe.

Initial findings point to the explosion starting in the rear part of the vehicle, possibly the boot. The blast was intense but did not leave any crater.

Forensic teams from multiple agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), are collecting evidence to confirm the car model, number plate, and other identifiers crucial to tracking the people behind the attack.

Security agencies across the country have been placed on alert, with additional vigilance ordered along the Indo-Nepal border. Border Security Force personnel and intelligence units are screening all movement across the open crossing.

Blast Follows Major Explosives Seizure in Faridabad

The explosion occurred just hours after authorities uncovered nearly 2,900 kg of explosive materials in Faridabad, including around 350 kg of ammonium nitrate — a fertiliser that can be weaponised.

This recovery followed the arrest of Adil Rather, a doctor from Jammu and Kashmir, who was detained in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, after CCTV footage captured him pasting posters supporting the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed in Srinagar.

Investigators also tracked down another J&K doctor, Muzammil Shakeel, associated with Al-Falah Hospital in Faridabad. Though hospital records showed he lived on campus, police discovered two off-campus residences linked to him. Raids on these locations revealed 12 suitcases stuffed with explosive materials, as well as detonators and timing devices.

A female colleague, whose Maruti Swift Dzire was allegedly used to store an assault rifle and ammunition, has been arrested. Another rifle and additional ammunition were recovered from a staff locker at the Government Medical College in Anantnag, where Rather previously worked.

Earlier in the day, police said they had dismantled an interstate and cross-border terror network connected to two banned groups — Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, an al-Qaeda-linked organisation.

In addition to the three medical professionals, five more individuals have been arrested so far as the investigation widens.