A video (here, here and here) showing a massive fire and people running around in panic is circulating on social media, claiming to be from the recent hijacking of the Jaffar Express by Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) insurgents in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. More than 400 passengers were reportedly taken hostage during the attack. Let’s verify the authenticity of this viral video.
Claim: The viral video shows a massive fire from the recent hijacking of the Jaffar Express by Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) insurgents in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.
Fact: The viral video actually shows a fire near Mir Chakar area in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Maymar, Pakistan, on 10 March 2025. The incident involved warehouses and shops, not a train hijacking. The Jaffar Express hijacking happened on 11 March 2025. Hence, the claim Misleading .
To verify the claim, we conducted a keyword search about the train hijacking incident, which revealed that it occurred inside a tunnel whereas the viral video takes place in an open area. A reverse image search on Google led us to an Instagram video posted by @geonewsdottv on 10 March 2025. The caption stated, “A fire broke out near Mir Chakar area in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Maymar on Monday. The cause of the blaze remains unknown.“
A side-by-side comparison of visuals from the viral video and the fire incident near the Mir Chakar area in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Maymar shows striking similarities, confirming that both videos depict the same event. This analysis makes it clear that the viral video is unrelated to the recent train hijacking in Balochistan and instead captures a fire outbreak in Karachi.
Further research led us to other YouTube video reports (here and here) of the incident, where we found multiple similar objects and visuals matching the viral video.
Additionally, various reports (here and here) confirmed that on 10 March 2025, a massive fire broke out near Chakar Hotel on the Superhighway, destroying warehouses, markets, and shops. Firefighters, using 14 fire tenders and two bowsers, controlled the blaze in four hours, with no casualties reported. The MD Water Corporation declared an emergency to ensure an uninterrupted water supply, and officials confirmed that a timely response prevented the fire from spreading to a petrol pump and nearby residential areas.
According to a recent report by Al Jazeera, on 11 March 2025, separatist fighters from the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) hijacked the Jaffar Express in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, holding over 400 passengers hostage. In response, the Pakistan military launched a rescue operation, successfully freeing 346 hostages and eliminating all 33 attackers. However, 27 passengers and one soldier lost their lives in the standoff. The BLA, a banned terrorist organisation, claimed responsibility for the attack, demanding the release of jailed fighters before being neutralized by security forces. However, the viral video circulating online is unrelated to this incident.
To sum up, a fire at a market in Pakistan is being shared as footage from the recent Jaffar Express hijacking by BLA insurgents.
