What appears to be an act of terrorism in the heart of India's capital city has left at least eight people dead and over 24 injured. It happened at Delhi's popular Lajpat Rai Market.

"A car explosion in New Delhi's Red Fort area, popular with tourists to the Indian capital city, has killed several people and injured many more, local media reported," according to reports of Monday's blast. "The cause of the explosion is not immediately clear, but it occurred in a parked car outside Gate 1 of the Red Fort metro station."

One eyewitness only identified as a nearby shopkeeper has told local media: "I never heard such a loud explosion ever in my life." The person described, "I fell three times due to the explosion. It felt as if we were all going to die."

Amid a huge police and emergency response, security personnel across India have been put on a high state of alert particularly near religious and tourism sites, per Al Jazeera:

Local authorities said the Uttar Pradesh region has been put on a red alert in the wake of the blast.

Provincial official Amitabh Yash told local media that all senior officials in Uttar Pradesh were instructed to increase security at religious sites, sensitive districts, and border areas. Police in all districts of Uttar Pradesh have been put on alert, and patrols and checks are to be increased.

Footage has been circulating showing the car bomb aftermath and chaos unleashed:

Another eyewitness, Mohsin Ali, described: "It was a strong blast. This area has a heavy crowd regularly. It was very crowded. I couldn’t see how many people were injured amid the stampede that ensued. There were several people who had fallen on the ground."

More images showing large fires rising high above the street immediately after the attack:

Regional media reports that "A slow-moving vehicle stopped at the red light following which the explosion took place at 6.52 pm. Nearly 2-3 people were seated inside the car, says Delhi Police Commisioner Satish Golcha."

It is currently anything but clear who may have been behind it. There's a likelihood of it being an Islamic terror group, given India has over several years suffered from this kind of sectarian violence, and in some instances anti-Hindu attacks.