In the evening of Monday, Nov 10, 2025, a massive car explosion ripped through a crowded intersection just outside Delhi’s historic Red Fort. Officials confirmed at least 12 people were killed and over 20 wounded in the blast. The blast occurred in a white Hyundai i20 (Haryana plate HR26 CE7674) that had stopped at a traffic light near Gate No.1 of the Red Fort Metro station around 6:52 pm. The force was enormous: witnesses said the blast shattered nearby glass panes, knocked out streetlights and hurled debris for dozens of meters. One vendor, A.P. Yadav, said he saw several cars “go up in flames” and even body parts scattered on the road in the immediate aftermath.
Eyewitnesses Describe Chaos
Local bystanders describe scenes of utter panic and destruction. “We all ran for our lives. The area was very crowded,” recalled A.P. Yadav, who had been selling food nearby. “Four to five cars went up in flames … I saw a few dead bodies lying and some body parts scattered on the road,” he said. Another witness said the blast “sounded like thunder,” blowing out streetlights and shaking houses 300 meters away. Shattered glass from the Red Fort metro entrance and burning debris filled the street. The intensity of the explosion even blew out glass panes at the metro station’s entrance.
Emergency Response and Casualties
Police, fire crews and bomb-disposal teams flooded the scene within minutes. Multiple vehicles were set alight by the blast, and at least six nearby cars and an e-rickshaw caught fire. More than 20 injured people were rushed to Delhi’s Lok Nayak Hospital; officials reported that nine of them were dead on arrival. Delhi Police quickly invoked the tough anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the case and launched a full investigation. The entire Old Delhi area was sealed off, traffic was diverted and border checkpoints were put on high alert. The Red Fort monument itself was closed to visitors for days, and Red Fort Metro station was shut while teams combed the site for evidence.
Investigation and Suspects
Security agencies began tracing the white Hyundai’s trail. Investigators found the car was originally registered in Haryana to a man named Mohd. Salman. Salman told police he had sold the car to one Devender, who in turn sold it to a man named Tariq. Delhi Police say the vehicle ultimately ended up with Dr. Umar Un Nabi, a physician from Lethpora village in Pulwama, Kashmir. Dr. Umar is now the prime suspect; he is believed to have been the lone driver when the i20 exploded. Authorities have sent DNA samples from the charred wreckage to a Delhi hospital to check against Umar’s family, to confirm if his remains were in the car.
The manhunt is linked to a terror bust in Haryana earlier that day. Jammu & Kashmir police and Haryana’s counter-terror unit had arrested several men – including doctors – in Faridabad on Nov 10, seizing nearly 2,900–3,000 kilograms of explosives (mostly ammonium nitrate and fuel oil) from rented flats. Officials suspect those suspects had connections to militant groups Jaish-e-Mohammad and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, and were in communication with each other. Notably, forensic investigators reported that the bomb at Red Fort used ammonium nitrate, fuel oil and detonators – the same materials seized hours earlier in the Faridabad raids. Delhi Police believe the Red Fort blast may have been a desperate, one-man attack carried out after the Faridabad module was disrupted. Media reports say Dr. Umar and another local man (Tariq) may have fled Kashmir after their associates were arrested, possibly prompting this terror strike.
Government Response and Context
India’s top leaders condemned the blast as a terrorist attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet declared the explosion a “heinous terror incident” by “anti-national forces”. Home Minister Amit Shah vowed to “hunt down each and every culprit,” warning that “everyone involved will face the full wrath” of security agencies. Mr. Modi expressed condolences on social media and said the injured were being aided by authorities. In line with these statements, Delhi’s anti-terror squads (NIA and Special Cell) took over the investigation, and a nationwide security alert was declared. Transit hubs and government buildings across India were briefly placed on higher alert as a precaution. So far no group has officially claimed responsibility, but all evidence is being examined under counter-terror laws.
Looking Ahead
This devastating explosion – one of Delhi’s deadliest attacks in over a decade – has left the city reeling. For now, the focus is on the victims and the intense investigation. Authorities have called for calm and urged the public to avoid spreading rumors as the multi-agency probe continues. Families of the victims mourn their loss, and billions of Indians watch anxiously for more answers. As investigators comb CCTV footage, mobile records and witness testimony, officials promise that whoever planned or carried out this blast will be brought to justice.
Sources: News reports from The Guardian, Reuters, Times of India, Hindustan Times, NDTV and The News Minute, Nov 2025.
