Fact-Check | Viral video of fire at Delhi fish market shared as ‘Indian drone factory supplying Israel’ on blaze

A video showing thick smoke and flames lighting up the night sky while firefighting operations are underway, is viral on social media claiming it shows a drone manufacturing factory in India that supplies to Israel. 

The clips also show a large crowd gathered around the area in what appears to be a residential neighbourhood.

One such post on X shared the video with caption in Arabic that roughly translates to, “Urgent A fire has broken out in a drone manufacturing factory in India, which is the facility that produces unmanned aerial vehicles for Israel. - Indian media / 50 people have been killed so far, including workers and engineers.” 

Links to this post and similar others can be viewed here, here, and here. 

However, the claim is false. The video actually shows a fire that broke out at a fish market in Delhi’s Uttam Nagar.

Verification

A closer look at the viral video shows the logo of the Press Trust of India (PTI) in the top-right corner. Based on this clue, DH checked PTI’s official X handle and found the same video posted on March 12, 2026.

The caption of the post reads: “VIDEO | Delhi: Massive fire breaks out in Uttam Nagar near Machhli Mandi. Firefighting operations underway. More details are awaited.”

A similar video was also shared by ANI, which reported that the fire broke out at a fish market in Matiala village. According to the report, around 300–400 slums were destroyed in the blaze. The cause of the fire remains unclear.

The fire department received information about the incident around 11.50 pm, following which about 23 fire engines were sent to the spot. After several hours of effort, the fire was brought under control. There have been no reports of casualties so far.

Recently, in February 2026, India and Israel elevated their bilateral ties to a “Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation, and Prosperity,” strengthening cooperation in areas such as defence, artificial intelligence, cyber security and agriculture.

The now viral claim appears to stem from allegations circulating online that India is assisting Israel in its war against Gaza and Iran. However, the video being shared does not show a drone factory.

Conclusion

A video of a fire at a fish market in Delhi’s Uttam Nagar is being falsely circulated with claim that it shows 'drone manufacturing unit in India that supplies drones to Israel'.