Red Fort blast car was parked at Sunehri Masjid lot for two hours

A quiet Monday evening in the heart of Delhi was ripped apart by terror and fire when a white Hyundai i20 suddenly exploded on Netaji Subhash Marg, just a stone’s throw from the historic Red Fort.

What began as another busy rush hour near one of the capital’s most iconic landmarks descended into chaos, smoke, and screams — a horrific blast that claimed 13 lives, including all three occupants of the ill-fated car.

Investigators have since pieced together a chilling timeline of the vehicle’s final hours, suggesting the blast was anything but accidental. According to the Hindustan Times report, CCTV footage recovered from multiple vantage points paints a grim picture: the car, bearing the Haryana registration number HR26CE7674, arrived at the Sunehri Masjid parking lot around 4 pm and remained there for nearly two hours — its passengers calm, unhurried, and inscrutable.

Around 6 pm, the vehicle was seen exiting the lot, taking a U-turn near Old Delhi Railway Station, and proceeding towards Lower Subhash Marg, where, moments later, it slowed at a traffic signal near Chhata Rail Chowk — and then, in a flash, disintegrated in a deafening explosion.

“The footage shows the car halting at a signal right before it exploded,” an investigator told the Hindustan Times, his words underscoring the suddenness of the tragedy.

Investigators have traced the Hyundai i20 used in the explosion to a second-hand car dealership in Sector 37, Faridabad, Haryana.

Preliminary findings reveal a tangled trail of ownership. Registered in 2014 to a Gurugram resident named Mohd Salman, the vehicle changed hands several times — from Salman to a man named Devender, and then to another buyer in Ambala. Police have detained one of the previous owners in Delhi as part of efforts to trace the car’s most recent custodian. Ambala and Gurugram police have joined Delhi’s anti-terror unit in following these leads, with assistance from central agencies.

Union Home minister Amit Shah, addressing the media hours after the explosion, confirmed that a multi-agency probe — involving the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and Delhi Police Special Cell — was underway. “A comprehensive investigation is being conducted from all possible angles. Every detail will be made public once verified,” Shah assured.

The blast site, located near Gates 1 and 4 of Lal Qila Metro Station on the Violet Line, was quickly sealed off by security personnel. Both metro gates were temporarily shut as forensic and bomb disposal teams scoured the area for evidence. Charred debris, twisted metal, and shards of glass marked the spot where the car had stood still — a haunting symbol of lives abruptly extinguished.

In the aftermath, security was heightened across the National Capital Region, with additional deployments at government buildings, metro stations, crowded marketplaces, and the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The incident has cast a long shadow over Delhi’s fragile calm, reviving memories of earlier attacks and leaving its residents once again haunted by unease.

What caused the explosion — whether mechanical failure, human intent, or a deeper conspiracy — remains under investigation. But in the cold glare of the blast site’s floodlights, one truth already stands clear: Delhi’s peace, so often taken for granted, remains perilously fragile.