Witnesses at historic Jain temple recall terror as Red Fort explosion kills 9

The evening calm at the 17th-century Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir shattered on November 10 when a powerful explosion near Red Fort sent shockwaves through the area, leaving at least nine people dead and throwing worshippers into scenes of chaos, smoke, and dismembered remains.

Mayank Aggarwal, a businessman attending a small engagement ceremony inside the temple, described the moment the blast tore through the busy road just 100 metres away.

“We heard a very loud noise… At first, we thought it was a cylinder blast because of all the eateries nearby. But when we rushed out, there were car parts everywhere — and then we saw flesh and body pieces,” he said.

Giriraj Singh, a temple supervisor, was in his office when the explosion hit. “I heard a loud sound and ran out with other employees. There were pieces of flesh, car parts, broken glass. Smoke and flames were everywhere,” he recalled.

The temple believed to have been built during Shah Jahan’s reign became an immediate refuge for stunned survivors and witnesses as emergency teams fought flames and searched for victims on the street outside.

Delhi Police have registered a case under Sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and relevant provisions of the Explosives Act at Kotwali Police Station, signalling the start of a terror investigation into one of the capital’s deadliest attacks in recent years.