Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday condoled the deaths of victims in the Delhi Red Fort blast and wished speedy recovery for the injured.
“Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in the blast in Delhi earlier this evening. May the injured recover at the earliest. Those affected are being assisted by authorities. Reviewed the situation with Home Minister Amit Shah Ji and other officials,” the PM posted on X.
This comes after Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the Delhi police chief and the director of the Intelligence Bureau to take stock of the situation. He visited the LNJP Hospital where the at least 24 of the injured were admitted. At least eight people have lost their lives in the blast.
Shah has directed the chiefs of the National Security Guard (NSG), National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other agencies to send expert teams to the blast site.
Earlier in the evening, Delhi Police commissioner Satish Golcha said the blast took place in a slow-moving vehicle near the Red Fort traffic signal. The car was later identified as a Hyundai i10, which had two to three occupants when the explosion occurred.
The Congress termed the blast as "extremely distressing", seeking a thorough and speedy investigation. The party, however, said the country stands united in this difficult moment.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Extremely distressing to hear about the news of a car explosion near Red Fort Metro Station, Delhi. Initial reports suggest that several precious lives have been lost in this incident. In this moment of grief, our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families, and we pray for the swift recovery of the injured."
"The government must ensure a prompt and thorough investigation into this blast which has taken in a high security and often crowded place, so that those responsible for this lapse and incident are held accountable," he added.
Calling the deaths “extremely heartbreaking”, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said “the report of the deaths of several innocent people in this tragic incident is very painful.”
“In this hour of grief, I stand with the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones and express my deepest condolences to them. I hope for the swift recovery of all the injured," he said in an X post.