NEW DELHI, Nov 11 — A car explosion in the bustling heart of the Indian capital yesterday killed at least eight people and injured another 19, officials said.

Police have not given details on the cause, but said that forensic and anti-terrorism agencies were at the site, near the landmark Red Fort.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to the families of those killed, and said he had “reviewed the situation” with Home Minister Amit Shah and other officials.

“Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in the blast in Delhi...may the injured recover at the earliest”, Modi said in a statement. “Those affected are being assisted by authorities.”

The blast took place in the early evening as people returned from work, close to a metro station in the crowded Old Delhi quarter of the city.

Ambulances streamed into a nearby public hospital, carrying several injured people, AFP reporters said.

Citing authorities at the hospital, New Delhi’s deputy chief fire officer AK Malik told AFP that “eight people have died so far and 19 are injured.”