Agencies probing Red Fort blast with full intensity; explosion in Hyundai i20 car: Amit Shah
New Delhi (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that top investigating agencies are probing the blast near Red Fort with full intensity, and will go in-depth into the explosion which took place in a Hyundai i20 car.
Citing hospital authorities, the home minister said eight people lost their lives while several others received injuries in the blast, and the investigators are keeping all options open while probing the incident.
Top agencies are investigating the incident with full intensity, and they will go in-depth into the incident, Shah said.
The blast took place in a Hyundai i20 car at a traffic signal near the Red Fort around 7 pm, damaging three to four other vehicles and injuring pedestrians and people travelling in auto-rickshaws, he added.
All angles are being probed by the investigators, and no possibility is being ruled out, he said after meeting some of the injured persons at the LNJP Hospital.
Asked if it was a terror attack, Shah said, "It is difficult to say what caused the incident. Until the samples recovered from the blast site are analysed by forensic authorities and NSG, we can't say anything. But we are not ruling out anything, and investigating the matter from all angles."
Teams of Delhi Police, NIA, NSG and FSL have started the probe, he said, and hoped that the exact details of the blast would be unearthed soon.
Shah also visited the blast site and said he will hold a high-level meeting with top officials on Tuesday to analyse the blast.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to him, and he has briefed him about the blast, Shah said.
Stating that he was pained beyond words by the loss of lives in the blast, the home minister said, "My deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I have visited the blast site and also met the injured in the hospital. My prayers are there for their quick recovery."
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
