'Chemical-like smell, smoke everywhere': Locals recount panic that gripped Delhi's Paschim Vihar after blast near CRPF school

Residents of Rohini in Delhi were startled by a loud explosion on Sunday morning that sent panic throughout the Paschim Vihar neighborhood. The blast, occurring near a CRPF school , shook houses hundreds of meters away, with locals describing the scene as filled with white smoke and a chemical-like smell lingering in the air.

Emergency responders, including the National Security Guard (NSG) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), were quick to arrive on the scene to investigate. While no casualties were reported, nearby shops, a car, and parts of the school suffered visible damage, adding to concerns among residents about the cause of the blast.

Kiran Sachdeva, a local resident, said the explosion’s force felt like an earthquake. Himanshu Kohli, a shopkeeper, recounted running toward the site, only to be met by thick smoke and shattered glass. Many residents, relieved the blast occurred on a Sunday when schools were closed, expressed fears about what could have happened if it had been a weekday.

With the festive season in full swing, residents are uneasy. The area, normally busy with Karwa Chauth celebrations and Diwali shopping, would have been much more crowded later in the day, sparking concerns about the potential scale of the disaster if the explosion had occurred at a different time.

Authorities are now piecing together evidence, including CCTV footage, to determine the cause of the explosion, which is suspected to be a crude bomb. For the community, however, the event has left lingering questions and heightened anxiety as investigations continue.