Unrelated visuals falsely shared as Delhi blast
A car explosion in the heart of India’s capital Delhi killed at least eight people and injured more than a dozen when flames rippled through several vehicles on November 10, 2025. But supposed visuals of the blast that circulated widely online are unrelated. One image is from a road incident in April, while another depicts a deadly car bomb in Lebanon more than a decade ago.
“After the explosion, a high alert has been sounded in the Capital,” reads an Instagram post shared immediately after the blast.
“This tragic and inhumane incident is a deep shock to the entire nation. I strongly condemn this horrific attack in Delhi,” says another post written in Hindi.
Both posts featured images showing thick plumes of smoke rising from burning vehicles.
Screenshots of the false posts, with red X marks added by AFP
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the blast a “conspiracy”, vowing those responsible will face justice (archived link).
Police are yet to give exact details of what caused the incident near the historic Red Fort, one of India’s most well-known landmarks, and the site of the prime minister’s annual Independence Day speech.
It was the first significant security incident since a shooting attack in late April left 26 people, mainly Hindus, dead at the tourist site of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, triggering clashes with Pakistan.
Similar posts on X and Threads also shared the old images.
A reverse image search on Google found the first image corresponds to visuals from television channel ETV Bharat published April 3, 2025 (archived link).
The report, which also included a video of the burning vehicle, said the car caught fire and later exploded on a road in Delhi. The driver saved his life by jumping out.
The report added the incident took place in the capital’s Khanpur neighbourhood, which is some 19 kilometres (11 miles) away from Red Fort — the site of the recent blast.
Screenshot comparison of image in false posts (L) and photo from ETV Bharat report in April
Moreover, the second picture was published by British newspaper The Guardian on January 2, 2014 (archived link). The report said a deadly car bomb exploded near a Hezbollah security zone in the southern part of Lebanon’s capital Beirut.
The photo is credited to AFP and can be viewed on the agency’s archives.
“Flames rise from burning cars at the site of a car bomb that targeted Beirut’s southern suburb of Haret Hreik on January 2, 2014,” the caption reads.
Screenshot comparison of picture in false posts (L) and photo from AFP’s archives
AFP has debunked more misinformation misrepresenting explosion visuals here and here.
