Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, a letter purportedly from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) is circulating on social media (here, here, and here), warning of a radiation leak at the BrahMos missile facility in Beas, Punjab. It alleges that the leak began after a suspected Pakistani strike on 10 May 2025, involving nuclear-capable warheads stored at the site. The letter also criticises the Indian government’s response and warns residents about possible radioactive exposure. Let’s verify the claim made in the post through this article.
Claim: A letter from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) that a radiation leak occurred at the BrahMos missile facility in Beas, Punjab, following a suspected Pakistani strike on 10 May 2025.
Fact: The viral letter claiming a radiation leak at the BrahMos missile facility in Beas, Punjab, following a suspected Pakistani strike on 10 May 2025, is fake. It contains several inaccuracies, such as referring to Beas as a district instead of a city in Amritsar, and mentioning a non-existent department called the Indian National Radiological Safety Division (INRSD). No radiation alert or advisory related to Beas appears on the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board’s (AERB) website as of 12 May 2025. Maharashtra’s Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR) labelled the letter as fake in a 15 May 2025 post, and an Indian Air Force media briefing on 10 May 2025 confirmed that no such attack on the BrahMos facility took place. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Upon reviewing the viral letter, we found that its language is informal, and the alignment and formatting do not meet the standards of an official government agency release. Additionally, the letter contains several inaccuracies: it refers to Beas as a district in Punjab, whereas Beas is a city within the Amritsar district. It also mentions an Indian government department called the Indian National Radiological Safety Division (INRSD), which does not exist.
We reviewed the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board’s (AERB) official website, including the “Latest News” and press release sections. We found no information regarding any radiation hazard, emergency alert, or public safety advisory related to Beas on or after 12 May 2025.
We also found a post (archived) dated 15 May 2025 on the official Facebook page of Maharashtra’s Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR), which labelled the letter as ‘fake.’
It is important to note that during a special media briefing held by the Ministry of Defence on 10 May 2025, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force clearly stated that the claims regarding the BrahMos installation being attacked and destroyed were “false.”
To sum up, the viral letter claiming a radiation leak at the BrahMos facility in Beas, Punjab, following an alleged Pakistani strike on 10 May 2025, is fake.
