Reference to Alzazeera. Indian officials are currently looking into a fatal car explosion in New Delhi under its strict anti-terrorism laws, following a significant blast near the historic Red Fort, which killed at least 13 people and injured more than 20 others.

Deadly Evening Blast Rocks Delhi

At around 6:52 p.m. on Monday, an abundance of the explosion impacted a busy part of Old Delhi, reverberating around the national capital. The blast was inside a moving Hyundai i20, which caused other nearby vehicles to catch fire and broke glass in the involved area.

Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha said, “A slow-moving car stopped at a red light. An explosion occurred in the car which caused considerable damage to other vehicles.”

Eyewitnesses recalled some melodramatic images as the area was filled with smoke, flames, and calls for help. Fire and rescue teams rushed in to battle the flames and rescue victims from damaged vehicles.

Investigation Ongoing, Police Consider the Incident a Terror Attack

Delhi Police announced a thorough investigation into the incident, resulting in the detention of various individuals associated with the ownership of the vehicle. One of the owners of the vehicle, Mohammad Salman, has been located and taken into custody in Gurugram, Haryana. Officials at the police station noted that even though Salman sold the vehicle many years earlier, the vehicle remained registered in Salman’s name and was still bearing a Haryana number plate.

Authorities also indicated that the vehicle changed hands multiple times, and both Salman, and the man who purchased the vehicle subsequent to Salman’s ownership, were detained. Investigation officials are now evaluating whether the vehicle was intentionally wired with explosives prior to the explosion.

UAPA Invoked as Authorities Increase Security Nationwide

In a significant update, Delhi Police has invoked Sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) —India’s legislation for counterterrorism — along with sections of the Explosives Act.

This raises concern that officials may view the explosion as a potential act of terrorism, even as no group has claimed responsibility for the incident yet. Security agencies throughout various Indian states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, are on high alert while a forensics team assesses what explosives were used in the explosion.

The legislative invocation suggests the seriousness that regulators are taking the explosion incident.

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