One person has died, reports said, in an explosion in Naya Bazar of Delhi's Chandni Chowk area.
Highlights
- Blast in a wholesale market in old Delhi
- Garbage picker was killed after he picked up a jute bag
- Senior police officers are at the location of the explosion
A man has died and four been injured in an explosion this morning in Chandni Chowk, one of the oldest and busiest parts of Delhi.
CCTV footage shows people ducking after the explosion and running through the congested lanes of Naya Bazar, a wholesale market in Chandni Chowk. Glass windows in the area were shattered and a haze of smoke filled the area.
The man who died was carrying two jute bags on his head, said the police. When he placed them on the ground, the explosion took place.
"I work here and this area is usually so congested. But this morning all of us got a scare as suddenly we heard a loud noise and then there was smoke all over," said Radhe Shyam, a property dealer with a small office in the neighbourhood.
"We have recovered those plastic shells commonly used in fire crackers from the spot. But we still need to figure out what was the explosive substance inside those shells. There is no crater at the spot, which means it was not a high intensity explosive," said SBK Singh, a senior police officer present at the location.
Delhi has been on high-alert because of the festival season.