*India’s Ministry of External Affairs has issued a formal alert dismissing viral claims that President Cyril Ramaphosa and President Xi Jinping fell seriously ill during the 2026 BRICS Summit in New Delhi.*
Reports claiming that multiple world leaders fell sick due to attending the 2026 BRICS Summit in New Delhi have been officially debunked as fake news. On 17 September 2026, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a Fake Alert warning against malicious and misleading social media posts trying to connect the health of international leaders to their participation in the summit.
How the BRICS Summit rumours started
The viral rumours originated from two unverified storylines that gained traction after the summit concluded on 13 September 2026.
Following his return to South Africa, the Presidency of South Africa announced that President Ramaphosa had been booked off from public engagements to rest on medical advice due to ill health. However, official statements clarified that his illness is a personal medical matter and completely unrelated to his trip to India.
The MEA has urged the public to rely exclusively on verified diplomatic updates and ignore unsupported viral narratives.
Claims about President Xi Jinping
Online rumours circulated by opposition groups claimed that President Xi Jinping had suffered a stroke or fainted during the summit. These claims remain entirely unverified, with no evidence provided by Chinese authorities or independent journalists.
Observers noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi paused a speech to check on Xi when he looked uncomfortable, and Xi skipped a summit dinner, which health-speculators amplified online. However, event coordinators confirmed his absence was not due to a medical emergency.
MEA urges reliance on verified updates
The MEA has urged the public to rely exclusively on verified diplomatic updates and ignore unsupported viral narratives.
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