A car bomb explosion outside Delhi's Red Fort on November 10, 2025, killed at least 10 people and injured many others, leaving survivors to deal with severe physical and emotional trauma. Victims recount panic, injuries, and nightmares, while a first responder describes the horrific scene he encountered. The incident has heightened fears and disrupted daily lives in the area.
The blast occurred around 6:51 pm on November 10 near the Red Fort, a Mughal-era monument in Old Delhi. Head Constable Than Singh, stationed at the nearby police post for 13 years, was at Gauri Shanker Mandir when he heard the explosion. He reached the site by 6:54 pm, finding vehicles ablaze and fuel tanks bursting. 'In my 15-year career, I had never seen such a bloodbath,' Singh said, tears in his eyes as he recalled pulling a crying woman from the rubble and rushing her to Lok Nayak Hospital in an e-rickshaw.
By 7 pm, ambulances and fire tenders arrived, along with senior officers like Joint CP Madhur Verma, who cordoned off Netaji Subhash Marg by 7:10 pm. Traffic was rerouted by 7:15 pm, and metro gates 1 and 4 were sealed. The first medico-legal certificate was issued at 7:05 pm, with at least five deaths confirmed by 7:30 pm. 'Body parts were thrown all over the place,' Singh added. DCP (North) Raja Banthia praised the quick response: 'The crime team secured the area within minutes, and officials at the Red Fort police chowki showed incredible bravery.' Singh, who runs a school for underprivileged children nearby, did not return home for two days after receiving 150 missed calls.
Survivors continue to suffer. Muhammad Faruq, 55, a heart patient and repair shop owner in Daryaganj, crashed his two-wheeler in panic, suffering permanent ear damage. 'Ab mujhe us raaste jaane se dar lagta hai (Now, I’m scared to take the same route),' he said. 'I get reminded of the horrific visuals of the hospital whenever I’m alone.'
Rahul Kaushik, 21, an animation student, was thrown from his parked bike en route to the temple, burning his hair and piercing glass into his forehead; he also has ear damage and nightmares. Discharged from GTB Hospital on Tuesday, he dragged his friend Ankush, now critical at Lok Nayak, to safety amid bystanders filming. 'I have not been able to get proper sleep… Even if I sleep for an hour, I hear blast sounds and black smoke surrounding me,' Kaushik said. His father, Purshottam Kumar, 45, noted, 'When I saw him for the first time after the blast he was shivering.'
E-rickshaw driver Alam Azad, 34, from Shahdara’s 5th Pusta, removed two steel shards from his thigh and stomach himself before seeking help; a third hit his leg bone. 'Mujhe 5 minute tak kuch dikha nahi, aisa laga ki gaadi gol gol ghoom rahi hai (I could not see anything clearly for five minutes… everything was spinning),' he recounted. Auto driver Vishweshwar Rai, 55, returned to Giridih, Jharkhand, anxious and unsure of returning soon.