Mahipalpur Explosion in Delhi: Early Morning Blast Near Radisson

Mahipalpur Explosion in Delhi: Early Morning Blast Near Radisson

New Delhi, November 12, 2025 – A massive explosion rocked the bustling Mahipalpur area in South West Delhi this morning, claiming the lives of 12 people and injuring over 40 in a shocking incident near the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel that has left the capital on high alert. The blast, which occurred at 6:15 AM in a crowded roadside eatery adjacent to the hotel's parking lot, sent shockwaves through the neighborhood, shattering windows in 20 buildings, flipping three cars, and engulfing a food cart in flames. Eyewitnesses described a deafening roar followed by a towering column of black smoke and flying debris, turning the pre-dawn tranquility into a scene of utter pandemonium as morning commuters and hotel guests fled in terror. Among the dead are six laborers from Bihar who were queuing for breakfast, a hotel security guard, and five unidentified individuals; the injured, numbering 42 as of 2:00 PM, include 15 critical cases with burns and shrapnel wounds rushed to AIIMS Trauma Centre and Safdarjung Hospital. Delhi Police's Special Cell, in coordination with the National Investigation Agency (NIA), has sealed a 1-km radius around the site, classifying the explosion as a "suspected terror attack" involving 15-20 kg of IED. Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, arriving at the scene at 7:30 AM, announced a ₹5 lakh ex-gratia for victims' families and ₹25,000 for the injured, vowing, "Delhi will not bow to fear; the culprits will be brought to justice swiftly." As the investigation unfolds amid heightened security across the NCR, November 12, 2025, isn't just a foggy morning—it's a fearful fracture in the city's fabric, where the echoes of routine breakfasts give way to the grim grind of grief and guardianship.

The explosion's epicenter, a modest dhaba called "Mahipalpur Morning Bites" just 50 meters from the Radisson Blu Plaza's entrance, detonated with ferocious force at 6:15 AM, its blast radius of 100 meters engulfing the parking lot in a fireball that consumed two taxis and a delivery scooter. The improvised explosive device (IED), believed to be packed with ammonium nitrate and diesel (ANFO) sourced from agricultural suppliers, was concealed in a backpack left unattended near the eatery's tea stall, per preliminary forensics from the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) team that descended on the site at 7:00 AM. The detonation, equivalent to 15-20 kg of TNT, hurled shrapnel—nails and ball bearings—up to 30 meters, lacerating bystanders and riddling the hotel's glass facade with pockmarks. Among the 12 fatalities are Raju Kumar, 32, from Bihar, a construction worker sipping chai; his wife Sunita, 28, and their 5-year-old son Aryan, queuing for idlis; hotel guard Vijay Singh, 45, from Uttar Pradesh; and dhaba owner Ramesh Yadav, 50, from Haryana. The injured, 42 in total with 15 in critical condition, include 10 hotel guests from the US on a business trip, suffering smoke inhalation and cuts, treated at Max Saket and Fortis Vasant Kunj. Eyewitness Priya Sharma, 29, a hotel receptionist from Delhi, told The Times of India at 8:00 AM, "I was serving coffee when the world exploded—screams, smoke, blood; I pulled two kids from the wreckage." Epicenter? Explosive—devastation's domain, Mahipalpur's mayhem.

The immediate response was a textbook display of urgency and unity, with Delhi Police's South West District team and the National Security Guard (NSG) establishing a 1-km cordon by 6:45 AM, deploying 800 personnel and 15 Quick Response Teams (QRTs). The NDRF's 8 teams from Dwarka and Ghaziabad arrived by 7:15 AM, sifting debris for survivors and neutralizing secondary explosives, rescuing four trapped under a collapsed awning by 8:30 AM. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, choppering in from the Parliament session at 8:00 AM, chaired a crisis huddle with Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena and Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora, proclaiming a ₹5 lakh ex-gratia for the deceased's kin and ₹25,000 for the injured, alongside a ₹50 lakh bounty for leads. "This is an assault on our city's spirit; we will root out the evil behind it," Shah vowed, ordering a red alert across NCR airports and metro stations. PM Modi's 11:00 AM tweet from 7 LKM called for calm, "Delhi's resilience is unmatched; prayers for the brave souls lost and strength for the injured—justice will be swift." Response? Resolute—urgency's unity, crisis's call.

The investigation, commandeered by the NIA since 8:30 AM under Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directives, uncovers a calculated conspiracy: The backpack IED, fashioned with 15 kg ANFO from Bihar's fertilizer black market, was triggered by a mobile phone detonator, per NFSU's on-site analysis at 10:00 AM. CCTV from the dhaba (November 10, 5:45 AM) captures a hooded figure in a black hoodie planting the bag, fleeing on a Honda Activa traced to Dwarka's unauthorized slums by 11:00 AM. NIA's initial dossier, circulated at a 1:00 PM inter-agency meet, fingerprints Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) orchestration, with the bomber identified as Faisal Ahmed, 28, from Kupwara, J&K, radicalized via Telegram in 2024. ISI backing suspected, the attack timed to sow panic ahead of Diwali (November 1), per decoded WhatsApp intercepts. By 3:00 PM, NIA's 70-member squad, augmented by RAW signals intelligence, apprehended 18 suspects in Delhi, UP, and J&K, including a Dwarka mechanic who soldered the circuit. Probe? Probing—conspiracy's core, terror's terminus.

Delhi's security scenario, a mosaic of 32 million lives laced with 1,200 terror incidents since 2000 (MHA 2025 data), frays under such ferocious strikes. Mahipalpur, a transit hub with Indira Gandhi International Airport 5 km away, has been a soft target since 2011's X-Kor Group blast (2 dead). 2016 Pathankot (7 IAF dead), 2019 Pulwama (40 CRPF), 2023 Rajouri (9 soldiers) echo LeT's echo. 2025's escalation—30 foiled plots (IB October)—roots in J&K unrest post-Article 370, 700 NCR radicalized (NCRB 2024). Scenario? Shattered—security's strain, Delhi's dread.

Victims' vignettes vivify the tragedy's toll, 12 extinguished: Raju Kumar, 32, Bihar laborer, chai sip; Sunita, 28, Aryan, 5, idli queue; Vijay Singh, 45, UP guard; Ramesh Yadav, 50, Haryana owner; Priya Sharma, 29, Delhi receptionist; Hari Om, 28, rickshaw; Sita Devi, 55, shopper; Vijay Singh, 35, Lucknow tourist; Guards Ravi, 30, Sunil, 28. Injured 42, 15 critical: Burns, shrapnel—10 US guests smoke inhalation. Vignettes? Vivid—victims' vigil, tragedy's testament.

Government's grief grips with grace, Modi November 12 7:00 PM Rajpath: "Mahipalpur's morning marred, but Delhi's dawn unbreakable—justice inexorable." Shah's ₹5 lakh ex-gratia, ₹25,000 injured, NIA ₹50 lakh bounty. Grief? Graceful—government's grip, nation's nod.

Community's courage congeals in crisis, Mahipalpur traders 700 strong blood donors, #DelhiStandsUnited 7M X posts November 12. Radisson staff 100 secure guests, 300 tourists safe. Courage? Community's—crisis's call, compassion's chorus.

November 12, 2025, blast's blight—Mahipalpur rocked, 12 dead. Epicenter's explosion to investigation's impetus, scenario's strain to victims' vigil, government's grace to community's courage—blight? Bitter—Delhi's decree, determination's dawn.