Aam Aadmi Party chief and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal condoled the deaths in the tragic Delhi Red Fort Metro blast and said the news was "extremely alarming".
Condemning the incident, Kejriwal said in a post on X, "The news of the explosion near the Red Fort is extremely alarming. It is reported that some people have also lost their lives in it, which is extremely tragic."
Kejriwal sought a thorough probe into the matter and urged authorities to investigate the possibility of a larger conspiracy behind the blast. "The police and government should immediately investigate how this explosion occurred and whether there is any larger conspiracy behind it." However, the AAP leader also launched cryptic criticism against the Centre over the attack: "Negligence regarding Delhi's security cannot be tolerated," he said.
A high-intensity blast rocked Delhi on Monday evening, resulting in the death of 13 people. Over 20 people suffered injuries in the blast, and they are undergoing treatment at the LNJP Hospital, Delhi. The blast occurred around 6.52pm near the Red Fort traffic signal, police said. According to Delhi police, an i20 car moved slowly as it approached the signal, and there were occupants inside the vehicle when the blast occurred.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said all "possibilities" are being probed, and senior police officials are probing the incident. Earlier, the Union minister visited the blast site and the injured persons at the hospital, and inquired about their well-being. In a tweet after visiting the victims, Shah said, "Top agencies are investigating the incident with full intensity, and will go in-depth into the incident."
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Sleuths from the National Security Guards, National Investigation Agency and the forensic department have rushed to the spot, and they are investigating. According to the Delhi Fire Department, six cars, two rickshaws and one autorickshaw were gutted in the fire.
The blast comes hours after security forces from Jammu and Kashmir uncovered a white collar terror module involving the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind and spanning Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Forces have arrested eight people, including three doctors, and have seized 2,900 kilos of explosives and ammunition.