MEA debunks viral claim of fire at India-Israel defence facility in Delhi, says video actually shows blaze at Matiala fish market. Photo: X.
Several influential handles on X with huge followings have circulated posts claiming that a fire broke out at a joint India-Israel defence facility in Delhi. The claim has been widely shared by accounts identified as pro-Iran supporters. Rumours and fake news have gained traction as Iran and the US-Israel continue to trade blows amid the Middle East war.
However, the viral posts are misleading. The video attached to the claims does not show any defence facility in Delhi. Instead, it is reportedly from an unrelated incident involving a fire at a fish market in the national capital.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stepped in to debunk the viral claim. The ministry’s Fact Check unit dismissed the circulating posts as false and urged social media users to avoid spreading unverified information.
Sharing a screenshot of one such viral post on X, the MEA Fact Check unit clarified that the information being circulated online had no factual basis.
“Fake News Alert! This is Fake News. Please stay alert against such false and baseless claims on social media!” the MEA’s Fact Check unit said in a post on X.
Authorities also warned users to remain cautious while sharing content online, particularly at a time when misinformation linked to the ongoing regional conflict is spreading rapidly across social media platforms.
Reports indicated that the footage being circulated online likely originates from a separate incident involving a large fire at a fish market in west Delhi.
According to authorities, a massive blaze broke out at a fish market in Matiala near Uttam Nagar around midnight between Wednesday and Thursday, prompting a major firefighting response.
The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) said it received a call regarding the fire at 11:55 pm, after which 23 fire tenders were dispatched to the site to control the blaze.
Posts spreading the claim also received community notes on X, clarifying that the video was being misrepresented.
The note stated, “This video shows a fire at Matiala fish market in Uttam Nagar, Delhi on March 12, 2026, not a drone factory. No casualties reported there. No credible reports of fire or casualties at any India-Israel drone facility in New Delhi.”
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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