India's 10/11, a wake-up call

The powerful explosion near Delhi's Red Fort on Monday evening has shattered more than a few vehicles-it has destroyed the fragile sense of security the capital's citizens had enjoyed for over a decade.

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For nearly 14 years, Delhi had been free of major blasts. That calm was broken when a slow-moving car exploded at a traffic signal, killing 13 people and injuring several others in the crowded Old Delhi locality. The horrific images of mangled vehicles and terrified bystanders have rekindled painful memories of an era when serial blasts were grimly routine. On the second day after the tragedy, the cause of the blast remains uncertain. Whether it was triggered by a CNG cylinder or an explosive device is yet to be established. The absence of shrapnel, as confirmed by the police, seems to rule out an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion. But the deaths and injuries are too grave to dismiss the incident as an accidental fire. Public anxiety is understandable, for every unanswered question deepens the fear