India, Nov. 11 -- It was 6.55 pm, the usual evening rush near Red Fort Metro Station. Cars crawled in traffic. Vendors called out to tourists. Then, a thunderous blast split the air. Within seconds, a Hyundai i20 burst into flames, lighting up the sky in a sheet of orange fire.

Screams followed. People ran in every direction. The air turned thick with smoke and the smell of burning metal. The blast ripped through the stillness of a Monday evening and left the area near Gate number 1 of Lal Qila Metro in chaos.

Eight people died on the spot. Several others lay injured, some crying for help, some too stunned to move. The explosion set nearby vehicles ablaze - e-rickshaws, cars, and motorcycles all caught fire one after another. Flames lea...