A powerful explosion near Delhi's Red Fort Metro Station on Monday evening killed at least 10 people and left 24 others injured, sending shockwaves across the capital and prompting a nationwide security alert. The high-intensity blast, which tore through parked cars near gate no1 of the metro station, gutted several vehicles and set off panic across Old Delhi's densely populated neighbourhoods.

The explosion occurred around 6.15pm when the area was bustling with commuters and evening shoppers. Fire and smoke were seen billowing from the site as locals rushed to rescue the injured before emergency services arrived. The blast was so powerful that it shattered the windows of vehicles parked several metres away and the sound was reportedly heard as far as ITO, several kilometres from the site.

According to media reports, the explosion appeared to have originated from a white Swift car parked near the metro station. "There was a Swift car in front of my auto. There was something in that car that suddenly blasted," says one injured eyewitness, who suffered a wound on his forehead. 

Another witness at a nearby gurdwara says, "We heard a strong sound - we couldn't make out what it was, it was that loud. Vehicles nearby were completely damaged."

Delhi fire service says it received a call about a car explosion and dispatched 10 fire tenders to the scene. "Six cars, two e-rickshaws and one autorickshaw were gutted in the fire," an official says, adding that the flames were brought under control by 7.30pm. Police quickly cordoned off the area and diverted traffic, while ambulances ferried the injured to LNJP Hospital, about 4km away.

Shortly after the blast, prime minister (PM) Narendra Modi spoke with home minister (HM) Amit Shah and sought a detailed briefing on the situation. The HM also held discussions with Delhi police commissioner Satish Golcha, intelligence bureau (IB) chief Tapan Deka, and National Investigation Agency (NIA) director-general Sadanand Vasant Date, directing that a NIA team be sent immediately to the site.

The explosion, which occurred just a day before the second phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, has prompted heightened security nationwide. High alerts were sounded in Delhi, Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh, while security was tightened at critical installations, including the RSS headquarters in Nagpur. The national security guard (NSG) and forensic science laboratory (FSL) teams have also been pressed into service to assist the Delhi police's special cell in the investigation.

Authorities have yet to confirm whether the blast was a terrorist attack, but initial reports and social media chatter have pointed towards a possible terror link. The explosion came just hours after the Jammu and Kashmir Police, in coordination with Haryana Police, busted a major inter-state terror module linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind in Faridabad, barely 50km from Delhi.

During the early morning raids, police recovered explosives, assault rifles, pistols and detonators from multiple locations in Faridabad, Lucknow and Srinagar, and arrested at least eight suspects, including three doctors. Among them was Dr Muzammil Ganaie, a Kashmiri physician living in Faridabad, and Dr Shaheen, a woman doctor from Lucknow who was flown to Srinagar for interrogation. Officials described the network as a 'white-collar terror module' operating across Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

The proximity of the Faridabad recovery to the national capital and the timing of Monday's blast have led investigators to examine a potential link between the two incidents. A senior intelligence officer told PTI that it was too early to draw conclusions but added that the 'pattern of explosives used and the sophistication of the detonation' would be key to determining whether the same group was involved.

Videos circulated by local traders shortly after the blast showed charred vehicles, debris scattered across the road and injured people being carried away. One video from the Chandni Chowk Traders' Association showed a body lying on a vehicle, while another captured a body part on the ground. "The entire building shook from the impact," says Sanjay Bhargaw, president of the traders' association, whose shop is just 800 metres away from the site.

"The blast was so strong that people in the market started running in panic. There was complete chaos," Mr Bhargaw told reporters. Following the incident, the association announced that the Chandni Chowk market—one of Delhi's busiest commercial hubs - would remain closed on Tuesday as a mark of respect to the victims and due to safety concerns among traders.

Officials say forensic teams are collecting samples from the vehicles and nearby structures to determine the nature of the explosive material. Investigators are also examining CCTV footage from the Red Fort Metro Station and surrounding areas to identify possible suspects or vehicles seen entering the area before the blast.

While no group has claimed responsibility so far, intelligence agencies fear the incident could be part of a larger conspiracy aimed at creating unrest in the national capital ahead of key political and security events.

As investigators piece together the sequence of events, Monday's explosion marks one of the deadliest attacks in the capital in recent years - a stark reminder of the persistent threat of terrorism, despite tightened internal security.