At least eight people were killed and several others injured following an explosion near the historic Red Fort in Delhi on Monday evening.
Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha said a slow-moving vehicle stopped at a red light near Red Fort Metro Station when it exploded, damaging nearby vehicles.
"Today, at around 6.52 pm, a slow-moving vehicle stopped at the red light. An explosion happened in that vehicle, and due to the explosion, nearby vehicles were also damaged. All agencies, FSL, NIA, are here. Some people have died, and some have been injured in the incident. The situation is being monitored," he said.
Delhi Police have registered a case in connection with the blast under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Explosives Act, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
"A case has been registered under sections 16, 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and various sections of the Explosives Act and the BNS at the Kotwali Police Station," Delhi Police said, according to ANI.
Also Read: Red Fort blast LIVE: Delhi Police file case under UAPA, Explosives Act sections
Following the blast, several Indian states and major cities were placed on high alert.
Delhi-NCR: Security was tightened at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, metro stations, and railway stations in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).
Uttar Pradesh: ADG Law and Order Amitabh Yash said the DGP issued instructions to increase security at sensitive religious sites, border areas, and districts.
"All security agencies have also been alerted. Police in all districts of Uttar Pradesh have been put on alert. An order was issued from Lucknow to increase patrols and checks in sensitive areas," ANI quoted ADG Amitabh Yash as saying.
Haryana: A high alert was issued across the state. Haryana DGP O P Singh advised residents to stay calm and report any suspicious person or object to emergency helpline 112.
"High alert across Haryana state in view of #Delhi incident. People are requested to remain calm. If any suspicious person or unclaimed object is seen, inform '112' (emergency helpline)," Haryana Director General of Police O P Singh said in a post in Hindi on X. "All police officers are in their respective areas."
Uttarakhand: On orders of CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, intensive security checks were ordered at interstate and international borders, religious sites, markets, bus stands, railway stations, malls, and other crowded areas.
Maharashtra: A precautionary alert has been issued for Mumbai and other districts.
"All the unit commanders at the district level in Maharashtra and commissioners of cities have been instructed to remain alert to avoid any untoward incidents," a police official told PTI.
Telangana: Police increased patrolling in Hyderabad, Warangal, Karimnagar, and other cities. Security checks have been stepped up in crowded areas as a precautionary measure, PTI reported.
Bihar: High-security alert was sounded across Bihar.
Director General of Police Vinay Kumar said, "A high-security alert has been sounded across Bihar following the explosion near the Red Fort. All district police and several other wings of the Bihar Police have been directed to maintain a close watch and extraordinary vigil to thwart any attempt by anti-national elements by intensifying area domination patrolling and search operations."
Kerala: Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order H Venkatesh told The Hindu that security has been tightened around airports, railway stations, Kochi Metro, Water Metro, and bus terminals.
West Bengal: Kolkata is on high alert, with security checks intensified at airport and railway stations.
Karnataka: Bengaluru Police issued a citywide alert, instructing all DCPs to step up security across the city.