At least eight people were killed and 20 injured in after a car exploded near Delhi’s Red Fort during the evening rush Monday. 

A slow-moving vehicle was seen approaching the landmark attraction in India’s capital — with it exploding after coming to a stop at a red light.

A former owner of the car has been arrested, authorities said without elaborating, according to NDTV. There were three people in the vehicle at the time of the blast, the BBC reported.

“Many [of those hurt] are not in the position of recovering,” added Dr. Manish Kumar Jha, a doctor at the local Lok Nayak Hospital, to reporters in the capital. 

“An explosion occurred in that vehicle, the passengers in the vehicle and people in surrounding vehicles were impacted,” Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha told reporters. 

Footage of the aftermath shows massive, orange flames and black smoke billowing from the destroyed car as residents fled the area. 

Suman Mishra said she was at the Red Fort train station when the explosion happened, engulfing at least six cars and three auto-rickshaws on fire in the middle of the street. 

“I was at the metro station, going down the stairs, when I heard an explosion. I turned around and saw a fire. People started running helter-skelter,” she told Reuters. 

The explosion originated from a Hyundai i20 car, according to India’s federal home minister, Amit Shah. 

“We are exploring all possibilities and will conduct a thorough investigation, taking all possibilities into account,” Shah told reporters. 

Many of those wounded in the blast have been left “badly injured,” Dr. Jha said.

Major train stations across India, the financial capital Mumbai and the state of Uttar Pradesh were all put on high alert, officials said. 

The explosion has left the nation in shock, especially since it occurred near the iconic Red Fort landmark. 

Located just five miles from Indian parliament, the 17th Century monument attracts thousands of visitors every day and is home to the Independence Day speeches given by India’s prime minister every year. 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the victims of the attack as he stressed that authorities will uncover the cause of the blast. 

“Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in the blast in Delhi earlier this evening,” Modi wrote on X. “May the injured recover at the earliest.” 

As officials investigate the cause, the explosion is reminiscent of the violence that plagued Delhi in the 80s and 90s where transit hubs were targeted by extremists. 

The last major attack on the city, home to more than 30 million people, occurred in 2011 when a briefcase bomb exploded outside the Delhi High Court, killing a dozen people.    

With Post wires