The night that shook the Indian capital

It was a busy evening as usual on Monday near the Red Fort metro station in Delhi, the Indian capital, when the sound of a loud explosion broke the cacophony.

A car explosion killed at least eight people and injured more than 20. It was so powerful that several nearby vehicles nearly melted, and people could hear the blast from miles away.

Police are still investigating what caused the blast, but the fact that it happened in one of Delhi’s safest and busiest neighborhoods has shocked people.

On one side is Chandni Chowk, a busy shopping and clothing hub, busier than usual at this time of year due to the peak wedding season.

And on the other side is the 17th century Red Fort which attracts thousands of tourists every day.

In between is the road where the explosion took place. Within minutes, confusion and alarm spread to the rest of the city.

Some readers may find the details below disturbing

Mohamed Hafiz, who lives less than 200 meters from the scene, said his house shook and he and others ran outside thinking it was an earthquake.

What he saw on the street terrified him: people were running in all directions, cars were on fire and dead bodies were lying on the road. Some residents tried to help the injured.

“There was blood everywhere. People were in shock. The scene was too disturbing. I could even see body parts,” he said.

As local media broke the news, fear and panic gripped the city. Police declared a state of alert and neighboring states quickly followed suit.

Entering Delhi from the neighboring suburb of Noida, we could see a long line of vehicles at the border as police searched them one by one.

Everyone – the people in the vehicles and the police officers – looked tense, as they all seemed in disbelief that something like this had happened in their town for the first time in over a decade.

Beyond the crossing, most of the roads were deserted as we drove to Lok Nayak Hospital, where the injured had been taken.

Outside, a large crowd had gathered behind the police lines. Confusion reigned in the air: people searched for answers and their fellow journalists speculated about what might have caused the explosion.

The spectators were perplexed and even frightened. Rajesh Kumar, who works at a tea shop near the hospital, said he always thought the capital was the safest city in the country.

He said that although the explosion had shaken him, he still believed that security forces would soon find out the cause of the explosion.

“My family in Uttar Pradesh told me to leave, they panic easily. I am a little worried and shocked but I don’t think Delhi has suddenly become dangerous,” he said.

Also among the crowd were several people searching for missing family members.

One of them was Mohammed Azghar, whose brother was in the area where the explosion took place.

“My brother has been missing since the explosion. We have had no contact with him,” he said.

“We have searched around the Red Fort, in Chandni Chowk, everywhere but we cannot find it”

Mr Azghar said his brother drove an electric rickshaw. “The police confiscated the vehicle, which is fine, we don’t mind. But at least help us find my brother.”

“I just want some news, good or bad.”

After visiting the hospital, we drove to the site of the explosion. It was shocking to see the empty roads here, as the area is usually packed with people until late at night.

There were only security personnel or journalists. Authorities eased restrictions and journalists were able to get closer to the site.

The scene there told the story of the explosion.

There were mangled remains of cars, rickshaws and tuk-tuks. Blood stains were still visible on the road. Some vehicles were charred beyond recognition.

Some residents had also gathered. They seemed visibly shaken and worried about their immediate future.

Ram Singh, who drives a small vehicle to transport goods from warehouses to area stores, worries about the impact on business.

“I earn my salary daily and I worry about how I will be able to feed my family. I hope that a sense of security will return soon. I hope that the police will be able to restore confidence fairly quickly,” he said.

“And I hope this never happens again in our city. We are shaken but we have to overcome this.”