Lucknow, Nov 10 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath joined a chorus of national leaders in expressing deep anguish over the devastating car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort that claimed 10 lives and injured dozens of others earlier this evening.

In a heartfelt post on his X handle, the CM extended condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured, invoking Lord Shri Ram for divine solace.

“The loss of life in the unfortunate explosion in Delhi today is deeply saddening,” Adityanath wrote.

“My condolences are with the bereaved families of those who lost their lives untimely. I pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant salvation to the departed souls, strength to the bereaved families to bear this immense loss, and speedy recovery to the injured.”

The blast, which occurred near Gate No. 1 of Lal Qila Metro Station, triggered panic in the densely populated Old Delhi area.

Eyewitnesses described a deafening roar that “felt like the earth caving in,” with plumes of black smoke billowing from the wreckage.

Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha confirmed the explosion’s intensity, noting that seven fire tenders were dispatched to douse the flames, while the area was swiftly cordoned off.

Notably, the J&K Police earlier in the morning busted an inter-state transnational terror module linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind terror outfits that led to the recovery of 2,900 kg of explosive, two assault rifles, pistols, timers, and other material in the Faridabad area of Haryana, near New Delhi, police said, adding that seven people have been arrested so far.

This seizure, followed by the explosion at Red Fort, occurs just a day before the second phase of the Bihar assembly elections.

–IANS

sktr/dan