Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday condoled the loss of lives in the blast near the Red Fort on Monday that killed at least eight people and injured many others, and appealed to people to maintain calm and avoid rumours.

Calling the incident "extremely distressing and alarming", Gupta expressed her deepest sympathies to those who lost their loved ones.

"I pray to God that the injured recover swiftly," she said.

All possible help is being ensured for the affected people, and teams of Delhi Police, NSG, NIA, and FSL are working together to conduct a thorough probe into the entire matter, she said in a post on X.

"I appeal to all Delhi residents to avoid rumours and maintain calm. Please rely only on official information issued by police and the administration," the chief minister said.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the blast site shortly after the explosion and held a meeting with a team of doctors and police officials at Lok Nayak Hospital. During the meeting, she reviewed the status of the injured, discussed emergency response measures, and emphasised the need for swift medical care and heightened security in the area.

The explosion in a slow moving vehicle near the Red Fort crossing at 6.52 pm on Monday left at least eight dead and around 20 injured, police said.

PTI inputs