Viral Delhi Fire Debunked: No Attack on India-Israel Facility, Just a Local Blaze

A viral video falsely claimed a fire at a joint India-Israel defence facility in Delhi, linking it to pro-Iran supporters or a Pakistan strike. However, the fire actually occurred at a fish market in Matiala, West Delhi, and had no connection to any military facility. Official reports debunk the viral claim, confirming it was a local fire, not related to the Iran war or a cross-border attack.

The Iran war, now in its twelfth day, has disrupted India’s LPG supply chain. India is prioritising domestic LPG supply, limiting commercial supply. Meanwhile, a video has gone viral on social media platforms alleging that an India-Israel joint defence facility in Delhi is engulfed in flames. A few linked the incident to a pro-Iran supporter. Others alleged a Pakistan strike in Delhi. However, we identified that a fire occurred at a fish market in Delhi, India, rather than a defence facility, and the viral claim is false.

What is the viral claim?

On March 12, Mario Nawfal, a Lebanese-Australian entrepreneur, business influencer, podcast host, and political commentator, shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) featuring a fire incident. The caption reads, “BREAKING: Unverified reports of a fire at a joint India-Israel defence facility in Delhi, with Indian media attributing it to pro-Iran supporters. No independent confirmation yet.” The post allegedly links the fire to pro-Iran supporters in Delhi, India.

As of March 12, the post garnered 57,500 views, 794 likes, and 166 reposts.

Responding to the post, a user remarked, “Bro, you’re out here speedrunning from ‘credible source’ to ‘literal WhatsApp uncle forward’ in under 12 hours. A fish market in Matiala burns → ‘IRAN ATTACKS SECRET INDO-ISRAELI DEFENCE LAB’ Next week we’ll get: ‘Man lights cigarette in Delhi → Mossad false flag to start WW3, confirmed by 4 Telegram channels and my cousin’s friend’s driver’ Do actual journalism for once instead of farming engagement like a TikTok tarot reader on bath salts. The bar is literally lying on the floor, and you still choose to limbo under it.” Another user pointed out, “There’s no verified report of a fire at any India–Israel defence facility in Delhi. The incident being circulated online actually refers to a local fire at a fish market in Matiala village near Uttam Nagar (West Delhi) around 11:55 PM on March 11.”

Mario Nawfal deleted the post after several netizens responded, debunking it.

OBC has previously fact-checked Mario Nawfal for amplifying a similar viral claim about a US airstrike and Hugo Chavez’s mausoleum on January 3, 2026.

Another X user also shared the same video on March 12, with the caption “BREAKING: INDIA COULD BE JOINING THE WAR AS WE INCH CLOSER TO A WORLD WAR III!!!! INDIA GAS HAS BEEN HIT!! MASSIVE FIRES FLARE! REPORTS PAKISTAN STRIKE!! MORE TO COME!!” suggesting that Pakistan has targeted gas pipelines in Delhi and that India could be joining the ongoing conflict in Southwest Asia.

As of March 12, the post received more than 10,800 views. 

A user responded, “Moron, that’s an old fish market in Delhi, fire broke out for some unknown reason, now it’s been taken under control,” while another user stated, “CIA, Mossad, MI6 behind it.” 

We identified that the X accounts linked to cross-border disinformation campaigns initially shared the claim.

How did we verify?

We analysed the viral claim and found no credible media or official reports corroborating it. Furthermore, we noticed that the viral visual features the logo of the Press Trust of India (PTI).

The keyframe analysis of the viral video led us to the X post shared on Press Trust of India’s official X account on March 12, which carries the same video.

According to the caption, the video shows a fire outbreak at Uttam Nagar near a fish market. 

Taking a cue from this, we performed a keyword search, which led us to The Indian Express report dated March 12, 2026.

According to the report, a massive fire broke out at the fish market in Matiala, Uttam Nagar, West Delhi, during the late hours of March 11. The police suspect that the fire gutted a few nearby shops and huts and are currently probing the incident.

Other news media outlets, such as Hindustan Times and Deccan Herald, also reported the incident on March 12.

The situation of Uttam Nagar has been tense recently, with Delhi Police personnel deployed following the killing of a 26-year-old man allegedly for throwing a water balloon at a Muslim woman on the occasion of Holi on March 4.

The analysis revealed that netizens shared the footage of a fire that broke out at a fish market in Uttam Nagar, Delhi, India, and falsely linked it to the ongoing Iran war. This clarifies that neither an India-Israel joint defence facility in Delhi is under attack nor did a Pakistan strike target a gas pipeline in Delhi.