An engagement ceremony continued at the Jain Sports Club near Red Fort, as people mistook Monday’s blast for a transformer or cylinder burst. Locals said they continued with celebrations unaware it was a terror attack. The explosion killed 12 people.
As music filled the air and guests danced to DJ beats at the Jain Sports Club in Chandni Chowk on Monday night, a powerful explosion tore through the area less than 100 metres away. Yet, inside the hall, the celebration continued. Many people, including those nearby, mistook the deafening sound for a transformer or gas cylinder burst.
Locals say the club was hosting an engagement ceremony when the blast occurred near the Red Fort Metro Station, killing at least 12 people and injuring several others.
Families thought it was a normal sound
“It was chaos when the blast occurred. Most of us thought it was a cylinder or transformer bursting. Who could imagine something like this could happen on such a normal day?” said the security guard of the Jain Sports Club, which was established in 1932. He recalled being on duty till 6 pm, as the wedding functions continued inside the club. “It was just another day, another function. Everyone thought it was a small incident. No one even stepped out to check,” he said.
Traders nearby share what they saw
Suresh, 50, a shopkeeper who sells trinkets and watches nearby, said the wedding party continued for some time after the explosion, according to News Agency Press Trust of India. “There were around 50 people there since morning, decorating and preparing for the engagement. When the blast happened, they stopped the DJ for a bit, looked around, and then went back to their celebration,” he said.
“Most of us didn’t realise it was a bomb blast until we reached home later that night,” Suresh added.
Shockwaves felt across the narrow lanes
Ravinder, who repairs watches from a small roadside stall barely a metre away from the club gate, said he was working when the explosion shook the ground. “I was fixing watches when suddenly there was a loud sound. I started packing up and ran. People nearby who were dancing froze for a few seconds, then turned off the music and looked around,” he recalled.
Ravinder said he thought it was a transformer explosion. “Nobody realised it was something serious. I travel from Meerut every day, but that evening I rushed home early because I was scared,” he said.
‘Our clocks fell off the shelves’
A few shops away, another clock seller who did not wish to be named said the force of the blast made entire shops tremble. “There was a huge bursting sound, so powerful that many of our clocks and watches rattled and even fell off the shelves,” he said.
Another local resident said a neighbourhood boy was the first to raise the alarm. “We were confused until a local boy came running, shouting that a car had flown into the air and that it could be a bomb blast.
The sound was so strong that everything shook for a second. Some of our items fell, and we couldn’t hear anything for minutes,” he said.
Panic and chaos in the streets
In the narrow bylanes around Red Fort, rickshaw pullers described how panic spread within seconds. “As soon as the explosion happened, people started jumping onto our rickshaws,” said Sunil, a rickshaw driver. “We pedalled as fast as we could towards the metro station. It was chaos — people shouting, pushing, trying to get to safety. It felt like all hell had broken loose,” he recalled.
High-intensity explosion leaves trail of destruction
The high-intensity blast, which took place in a slow-moving Hyundai i20 car near the Red Fort Metro Station on Monday evening, gutted several vehicles and shattered windows in nearby shops. Police said multiple people were critically injured and later died in hospitals, bringing the death toll to 12.
Authorities said the explosion is being investigated as a terror attack linked to a larger network uncovered by national agencies.