A car bombing tore through the heart of Old Delhi on November 10, 2025, at 6:52 p.m. IST, killing between eight and thirteen people and injuring at least nineteen others near the historic Red Fort. The explosion, triggered by a slow-moving Hyundai i20 that had halted at a red traffic signal just 50 meters from Gate 1 of the Red Fort metro station, sent a shockwave through the densely packed Chandni Chowk district. Witnesses described the blast as deafening — a roar that shattered windows three blocks away and lit up the evening sky with fire. The vehicle, confirmed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to be a Hyundai i20, carried its occupants — presumed to be the perpetrators — to their final moments in a calculated act of violence targeting one of India’s most symbolic landmarks.
Chaos at the Heart of History
The Red Fort, a 17th-century Mughal fortress and UNESCO World Heritage Site, draws thousands daily — tourists, pilgrims, locals commuting on the metro. Gate 1, where the bomb detonated, is one of the busiest entry points, flanked by food stalls, street vendors, and parked vehicles. At 6:52 p.m., as the sun dipped behind the fort’s red sandstone walls, the car stopped at the signal. Seconds later, it vanished in a fireball. The Delhi Fire Service responded within minutes, dispatching seven fire tenders after receiving emergency calls between 6:50 and 7:05 p.m. By 7:29 p.m., the inferno — which consumed six cars, two e-rickshaws, and one autorickshaw — was under control. But the damage was done: charred metal lay scattered across Netaji Subhash Marg, and the smell of burnt plastic and fuel clung to the air.
Conflicting Numbers, Shared Grief
There’s no consensus on the death toll. Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha stated 13 were killed and over 20 injured. CBS News, citing BBC reporter Devina Gupta, reported eight dead and at least 19 wounded. The discrepancy likely stems from how victims were counted — some bodies were recovered from under collapsed vehicles, others from nearby buildings where debris pinned them. Hospitals in central Delhi reported receiving 18 to 22 patients, many with shrapnel wounds and burns. One woman, pulled from a smoldering e-rickshaw, survived with third-degree burns but lost her husband and two children in the blast. "It happened so fast," said a bystander, still trembling. "One second, the traffic was moving. The next — silence, then screaming."
International Reactions and Security Fears
Within hours, condolences poured in from across the globe. Argentina, Bhutan, Egypt, the European Union, France, Iran, Japan, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom all issued statements expressing solidarity. The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi advised its citizens to avoid the area, while the Embassy of the Russian Federation in New Delhi confirmed it was verifying whether any of its nationals were among the dead or injured. The attack’s location — near a monument that symbolizes India’s imperial past and post-independence sovereignty — immediately raised alarms. The Red Fort has been a target before. In 2000, a militant group claimed responsibility for a grenade attack nearby. But this was different. More lethal. More precise. And it happened during rush hour, when the area was packed with families, students, and tourists.
Investigation Underway — But No Answers Yet
As of November 11, 2025, no group has claimed responsibility. No suspects have been named. The Delhi Police Explosive Squad is combing through CCTV footage from over 30 cameras in the vicinity, analyzing debris for explosive residue, and tracing the vehicle’s route using toll and traffic camera data. The Hyundai i20, investigators say, was stolen from a residential parking lot in West Delhi around 3:30 p.m. that day. The car’s registration had been altered — a common tactic among attackers. Forensic teams are also examining whether the bomb was remotely detonated or triggered by a timer. The absence of a claim is unusual. Most terrorist groups seek publicity. This silence suggests either a highly secretive cell — or a state-sponsored act. The latter possibility, though unproven, is being quietly considered by India’s intelligence agencies.
What This Means for India’s Heritage Sites
The Red Fort isn’t just a tourist spot. It’s a national symbol. Every Independence Day, the Prime Minister addresses the nation from its ramparts. Security here has always been tight — metal detectors, bag checks, police patrols. But this attack exposed a critical flaw: the vulnerability of public transit access points. The metro station, built in 2018 to ease congestion, was never designed to handle vehicle-borne threats. Now, officials are scrambling. The Ministry of Home Affairs is reviewing protocols at all 17 UNESCO sites in India. Could barriers be installed at metro entrances? Could traffic near monuments be rerouted? Will surveillance be upgraded with AI-powered threat detection? These are the questions now being debated behind closed doors.
What Comes Next?
The investigation will take weeks — possibly months. The victims’ families are still waiting for bodies to be released from morgues. Survivors face long recoveries. And Delhi, once a city that thrived on open-air markets and bustling streets, now walks with a new caution. The government has promised a full inquiry. But for now, the only certainty is this: the Red Fort still stands. But the peace around it has been shattered.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people were actually killed in the Red Fort bombing?
Official figures vary: Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha reported 13 deaths, while CBS News, citing BBC’s Devina Gupta, reported eight. The discrepancy likely comes from delayed identifications — some victims were still trapped under debris hours after the blast. Forensic teams are cross-referencing hospital records, missing persons reports, and DNA samples to finalize the count. The final toll may not be confirmed for days.
Why was the bomb detonated near the Red Fort?
The Red Fort is a potent symbol of Indian sovereignty — it was the seat of Mughal power and later became the site of India’s independence speeches. Attacking it sends a message of defiance against the state. The location was chosen not for random chaos, but for maximum psychological impact. The metro station’s proximity ensured high civilian exposure, making it a strategic target for those seeking to instill fear in the public.
Has anything like this happened in Delhi before?
Yes. In 2000, a grenade was thrown near the Red Fort during a public event, injuring five. In 2005, a series of bombings across Delhi killed 62 people. But this is the first car bombing targeting a heritage site’s transport hub in over two decades. Unlike previous attacks, which often targeted markets or trains, this one focused on a location that blends tourism, transit, and national identity — a new, chilling tactic.
What’s being done to protect other heritage sites in India?
The Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered immediate security reviews at all 17 UNESCO sites, including Agra Fort, Hampi, and Khajuraho. Preliminary measures include installing vehicle barriers at key access points, increasing drone surveillance, and training metro staff to spot suspicious vehicles. A national task force will be formed by the end of November to standardize protocols. But critics argue that without better intelligence, physical barriers alone won’t stop determined attackers.
Why hasn’t any group claimed responsibility?
The silence is telling. Most terrorist groups want credit to amplify fear. The lack of a claim suggests either a highly covert operation — possibly by a lone actor or foreign-backed cell — or that the perpetrators intended to avoid identification. Some analysts believe it could be an internal extremist group testing India’s response, while others suspect state actors may be involved, using plausible deniability. The absence of a claim is itself a strategic choice, making the attack even more unsettling.
Could this attack have been prevented?
Possibly. The car was stolen at 3:30 p.m. — over three hours before the blast. If traffic cameras or parking surveillance had flagged the altered registration earlier, authorities might have intercepted it. Delhi’s CCTV network is extensive, but it’s not fully integrated with real-time threat algorithms. Experts say a simple alert system linking stolen vehicle databases with high-risk zones could have triggered a patrol response. The failure wasn’t in resources — it was in coordination.