New Delhi: Survivors of Monday evening’s deadly blast near Delhi’s Red Fort have shared terrifying memories of panic, blood and chaos that turned a normal evening into a nightmare.

“We saw people lying on the road, some bleeding, some not moving at all. There was blood everywhere. We saw death from up close,” said Ram Pratap, a roadside eatery owner from Bihar, speaking from his hospital bed with his right arm tightly bandaged.

Pratap was preparing to close his small eatery when the explosion ripped through the area, killing 12 people and injuring many more.

“It was just another evening. A few customers were waiting when suddenly there was a loud blast. The noise was so strong I could not hear anything for a few seconds. Glass shards fell on us and thick smoke engulfed everything,” he recalled.

“People were lying on the ground, some bleeding, some not moving at all. Blood was everywhere. My own hand was bleeding badly, but I did not even realise it then. We saw death from up close,” he added, struggling to hold back tears.

Outside the hospital, a relative of Pratap described the chaotic aftermath. “There was a flash, then fire, then thick black smoke. I froze. I could not find my brother. People were shouting names, crying, searching for their families. For a few minutes, no one knew who was alive.”

Vijender Yadav, who had just parked his water tanker nearby, also survived the blast. “My tanker was parked on the roadside. I was just closing up when it exploded,” he said, his arm in a sling and head bandaged.

“The blast threw me to the ground. When I got up, my clothes were soaked in blood. I saw bodies on the road, pieces of glass and flesh scattered everywhere,” he added.

“People were screaming, some running, others frozen in shock. That sound is still ringing in my ears,” he said. Yadav, whose family lives in Bihar, reflected on his fear, “I thought I would never see them again. I have three daughters. I kept thinking what would happen to them if I didn’t make it? I still don’t know how I survived. This chaos, this fear, it will stay with me forever.”

Authorities confirmed that the explosion, which occurred near the Red Fort Metro station, gutted several vehicles and injured many. Several critically injured victims later succumbed to their injuries, raising the death toll to 12.

PTI