Fact check: Viral video of massive fire at Lahore airport is old from May 2024
Multiple Indian media outlets and social media users have been sharing a video of Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport since Saturday, claiming that a missile battery of the Air Defence System exploded during installation, resulting in the suspension of all services at the airport. However, the incident is from May 2024 when a short circuit in the ceiling caused smoke and flight delays.
An attack took place in Pahalgam, a tourist hotspot in India-occupied Kashmir that draws thousands of visitors every summer, on April 22. Gunmen opened fire on visitors, killing at least 26 people — all men from across India except one from Nepal — and injuring 17 others. It was the region’s deadliest attack on civilians since 2000. A hitherto unknown group, named by several Indian outlets as ‘The Resistance Front’, is said to have claimed responsibility for the attack.
India followed suit by announcing a series of actions against Pakistan. Responding in kind, Pakistan’s top brass also announced a series of measures, including the closure of its airspace to all India-owned or Indian-operated airlines with immediate effect.
As diplomatic channels dry up and treaty frameworks teeter, analysts warn that relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours may be approaching a dangerous tipping point, with limited space remaining for de-escalation.
On Saturday, a known Indian propaganda account posted a 32-second long clip showing a crowd with suitcases standing at the airport covered with smoke.
The caption of the post said, “Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore, Pakistan is burning after a missile battery of Air Defence System exploded during installation. Fourteen Pakistani soldiers died due to this incident. All services have been suspended at Lahore airport and the Pakistan Army has taken control.”
The post gained 479,400 views.
The same video with similar captions was shared by Indian as well Pakistani and Afghani accounts on X which can be seen here, here, here, here and here with 19,200, 52,600, 295,400, 54,700, and 6,200 views respectively.
Indian media outlets such as Financial Express, ABP News, News Arena India, Kalinga Tv and Lokmat Times also reported the same incident on Saturday.
The same clip was also shared by Facebook users as can be seen here, here, and here.
A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the events unfolding between India and Pakistan in the wake of the recent Pahalgam attack.
A keyword search to corroborate the alleged development yielded no news stories regarding any recent fire at the airport or the deaths of soldiers and the suspension of operations.
A reverse image search yielded a Pakistan Today report published on May 9, 2024, that featured a screenshot from the viral video.
According to the report, a fire erupted at Allama Iqbal International Airport due to a short circuit in the ceiling of the immigration counter, leading to delays in both Haj and international flights.
The screenshot was also featured in a YouTube news bulletin from Indian channel CNN-News18 on May 9, 2024.
Several other reports published by Pakistani, as well as Indian media outlets, were also found on the actual incident.
A keyword search also yielded a statement from the Pakistan Airports Authority, published by state news outlet The Associated Press of Pakistan, rejecting the reports about the suspension of operations.
Therefore, the fact-check determined that the claim that a video shows a massive fire at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal Airport, resulting in flight cancellations, is misleading. The clip actually dates back to May 2024, when fire and smoke from a short circuit in the airport’s ceiling led to flight delays.
This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.