Red Fort Blast: Post-Mortem Findings Reveal Brutal Force of Explosion

New Delhi, November 12: The car explosion that tore through the Red Fort area on Monday evening unleashed a shockwave so powerful that it shattered bodies and damaged internal organs without leaving splinter wounds, according to the post-mortem report released two days after the tragedy.

At least 12 people were killed and over a dozen injured when a Hyundai i20 exploded near the Lal Quila Metro Station around 7 pm, sending flames and debris flying across the busy Subhash Marg traffic intersection. The explosion's sheer intensity has drawn comparisons to military-grade blasts, though the exact nature of the explosive is yet to be determined.

Unprecedented Blast Impact

Medical examiners at the LNJP Hospital described the injuries as catastrophic - marked by fractured skulls, crushed chests, ruptured lungs, and torn abdominal organs. Many victims suffered burst eardrums and internal hemorrhaging, suggesting that the blast wave, not shrapnel, caused most fatalities.

Officials said the upper body concentration of injuries indicates that victims were thrown violently against nearby vehicles and concrete barriers. Forensic doctors noted that the absence of metallic fragments or splinters in the bodies rules out a conventional improvised explosive device (IED), hinting at a high-pressure chemical detonation.

Forensic Analysis Underway

Samples from the bodies, including swabs, tissues, and metallic traces, have been dispatched to Rohini's Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for chemical analysis. Investigators are examining whether the explosive contained ammonium nitrate derivatives or more sophisticated compounds.

Sources confirmed that metal pieces and unidentified foreign particles were retrieved during autopsy and will undergo microscopic and spectrographic analysis.

In parallel, the AIIMS Forensic Lab is verifying DNA samples collected from the mother of Dr. Umar Un Nabi, the man suspected of driving the explosive-laden i20. CCTV footage has traced the car's route from the KMP Expressway into central Delhi, confirming multiple highway crossings before the blast.

Terror Angle Strengthens

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the probe, treating the incident as a terror attack. A special task team led by senior officers has been formed to determine whether the explosion was part of a larger network.

The Ministry of Home Affairs ordered the transfer of the case to NIA after Delhi Police recovered evidence linking the vehicle to a Faridabad-based terror module recently busted with 2,900 kg of explosives.

Capital on Edge

The Red Fort blast, one of the deadliest in the capital in recent years, has prompted heightened security across Delhi. Checkpoints have been established at all border entry points, and forensic teams continue to collect samples from the scene.

While investigators race to identify the exact explosive compound and its origin, the post-mortem findings paint a chilling picture of the blast's magnitude - a detonation so fierce that it killed without shrapnel, leaving behind only shockwaves, silence, and grief.