A high-intensity explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday (November 10) evening claimed at least 13 lives and left several others injured, sending shockwaves across the capital. Authorities have released emergency helpline numbers to assist citizens and families of those affected by the tragedy.
Residents can contact Delhi Police’s emergency helpline 112 for immediate assistance. For hospital-related updates, LNJP Hospital’s main line (011-23233400) and emergency line (011-23239249) will remain operational to provide details about patients admitted following the blast. Additionally, the Delhi Police Control Room can be reached at 011-22910010 and 011-22910011 for information and support.
Eyewitness accounts and victims’ stories
The explosion ripped through a car parked near the historic monument, damaging several vehicles in the vicinity. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as bystanders rushed to help the injured, many of whom reached hospitals on their own.
Among them was Avdhesh Mandal, a 40-year-old autorickshaw driver from Bihar, who drove himself over four kilometres to Sushruta Medical Centre with a metal shard lodged in his abdomen. He is currently undergoing treatment.
Mohammad Safwan, 28, from Chennai, was visiting Delhi on work when the blast occurred. Thrown off his rickshaw by the force of the explosion, Safwan managed to call his family using a passer-by’s phone before being admitted to hospital with leg injuries.
Another victim, Sameer Khan, 23, suffered facial burns and remains in the ICU at LNJP Hospital. His brother Javed described the hospital corridors as chaotic as doctors and security personnel rushed to manage the situation.
Chief Minister’s visit and statement
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, accompanied by Home Minister Ashish Sood, visited LNJP Hospital late Monday night to meet the injured and their families. Calling the incident “extremely distressing and alarming,” Gupta expressed her condolences to the families of the deceased and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured.
“All possible assistance is being provided. Teams from Delhi Police, NSG, NIA, and FSL are jointly investigating the blast,” she said, urging residents to maintain calm and avoid spreading rumours. “Please rely only on official updates from police and the administration,” she added in a post on X.
The doctor’s arrest stunned everyone
Investigators are examining possible terror links after multiple arrests across states raised suspicion of a coordinated plot.
A doctor from Gujarat was detained with three handguns and materials suspected to be used in making ricin, a deadly toxin. Another doctor from Jammu and Kashmir was arrested in Haryana with 2,900 kg of explosives, including 350 kg of ammonium nitrate and two assault rifles. A third suspect, also from J&K, was held in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly putting up posters praising the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Though initially unrelated, the timing of these arrests hours before the Red Fort explosion has prompted agencies to investigate possible connections.
The car that exploded, an i20 bearing Haryana registration number HR 26 7674, has become the centre of the investigation. Police have detained its previous owner, Md Salman from Gurugram, who claims to have sold the vehicle to a man named Devendra in Okhla earlier this year. The car reportedly changed hands multiple times, a pattern commonly used in SVBIED (Suicide Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device) attacks to obscure ownership trails.
Teams from the Delhi Police Special Cell, NIA, and NSG bomb experts are combing through the site for forensic evidence, while the RTO has been asked to trace the vehicle’s complete ownership chain.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation as Delhi remains on high alert.
