A devastating explosion outside Delhi’s historic Red Fort on November 10 left at least 10 people dead and over two dozen injured, but for Head Constable Than Singh, one of the first responders, the memories are still haunting. Sitting beside the blood-stained uniform he wore that evening, Singh recalls the chaos, screams and bloodshed — a scene he describes as the worst in his 15-year policing career.
Singh has been posted at the Red Fort police unit for nearly 13 years, stationed in a makeshift setup comprising five small rooms. The powerful blast shook the entire structure, damaging ceilings, walls and lighting fixtures. “Such was the impact… rooms shook like an earthquake,” he said, pointing toward repaired interiors.
At around 6:50 pm that day, Singh was on a video call with his wife, who was fasting and had asked him to show her the deity at the nearby Gauri Shankar Temple. Within 60 seconds, a massive blast shook the area, sending him running toward the scene. Flames engulfed vehicles, fuel tanks exploded and several people were trapped under debris.
Singh first rescued an injured woman and placed her in an e-rickshaw before rushing other victims to Lok Nayak Hospital. Another man with severe burns was pulled out, followed by a victim trapped between a vehicle’s bonnet and windshield. Emergency teams, fire units and senior officers arrived within minutes, while traffic routes were diverted and the Red Fort metro gates were sealed.
By 7:30 pm, five deaths were confirmed, and Singh says shock had overtaken him: “Body parts were scattered everywhere… I will never forget it.” Later that night, he found over 150 missed calls from family, colleagues and friends. “My children were crying… they thought something happened to me,” Singh said, holding back tears.
