No Brics Leader Died After Eating Food At The India Summit

By Nancy Oseur 

A post circulating on X claims that all BRICS leaders were killed after eating local Indian food during the BRICS Summit in India.

The post, shared on September 16, 2026, from an account with the username Golden Boy, carried the headline: “BRICS leaders all killed by local food after big meeting in India.” 

It also shared separate posts alleging that Chinese President Xi Jinping had fainted and that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had fallen ill after the summit.

The claim attracted significant attention online with around 2.8 million views, 41,000 likes, 3,100 reposts and 4,300 bookmarks at the time of review.

Background

The 18th BRICS Summit was held in New Delhi, India, from 12 to 13 September 2026, under India’s chairship. The summit took place at Bharat Mandapam and brought together leaders of BRICS member and partner countries, alongside invited leaders. The theme was “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.

BRICS is an intergovernmental grouping that brings together major emerging economies. Its expanded membership includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The summit discussions covered issues including global governance, economic cooperation, trade and investment, development, security and cooperation among countries of the Global South.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was among the leaders attending the summit. During the meeting, he participated in official sessions and held bilateral engagements, including a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 13, 2026. The two leaders reviewed the progress achieved in diverse areas of cooperation and exchanged views on the multi-faceted strategic partnership between India and South Africa.

During the summit, images and videos of food served at the International Media Centre circulated online with claims that BRICS leaders had been served the same food. The post featured a visual of food being displayed in a serving container, giving the impression that the image showed breakfast arrangements for leaders attending the summit. The claim subsequently circulated online, as it got about 430 reposts, 1.8k views, and more than 700 comments by the time of review. 

Just after images of the food served during the BRICS Summit circulated online, posts began claiming that BRICS leaders who attended the summit had been killed after eating food served at the event.

Verification

Verification of the claim shows that it conflates one confirmed report of illness with a much broader, unsupported claim that BRICS leaders were poisoned or killed after eating food at the summit.

The first point to establish is the case of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. On September 16, 2026, the South African Presidency publicly confirmed that Ramaphosa had been booked off from public engagements because of ill health. The statement said he had returned from the BRICS Summit in India on Monday and had been advised by his medical team to rest and recover. It also said that, where necessary, ministers would represent him at scheduled public engagements. Importantly, the Presidency did not identify the illness, say that he had suffered food poisoning, or link his condition to anything he ate in India.

Records from the South African government show that Ramaphosa remained active after returning from India. Government records list statements and engagements involving him on 14 and 15 September, including his participation in the Africa Green Hydrogen Summit, before the Presidency announced that he had been booked off from public engagements. This provides a documented timeline of his activities and subsequent temporary break from public engagements, rather than evidence of a serious incident at the BRICS Summit.

The second part of the claim concerns Chinese President Xi Jinping. Chinese official records show that Xi completed his participation in the summit and returned to Beijing on September 13, 2026. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs published an official account of his return the following day. There is no official record in the material reviewed showing that Xi died, suffered food poisoning or was secretly evacuated from India for emergency treatment.

Indian government records also document Xi’s activities during the summit. On 12 September, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Xi in New Delhi, where they discussed India-China relations and China’s contribution to the 2026 BRICS Summit. Prime Minister of India Xi subsequently departed New Delhi after completing his summit programme. 

The claim about the food itself is also contradicted by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. A video and images of a vegetarian spread, including dishes described online as poha, were circulated with claims that they showed food prepared for BRICS leaders. The ministry’s fact-checking account responded on 12 September, labelling the claim “Fake News” and clarifying that no breakfast was served to world leaders at the summit venue. It explained that the food shown was from the International Media Centre at Bharat Mandapam, where national and international journalists covering the summit were served.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs’ fact-checking unit warned against social-media posts claiming that several leaders had fallen ill after attending the summit. The posts linked Ramaphosa and Xi to alleged food poisoning. The ministry described the claims as misleading and cautioned users against amplifying them.

There is also a broader documentation  trail showing that leaders who attended the summit continued to appear in official records after the event. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Ramaphosa on 13 September, during which Ramaphosa thanked India for hosting the summit. Prime Minister for India Modi also held meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin around the summit, with the two leaders discussing bilateral and international issues. Indian government records further documented  Modi’s meetings with other visiting leaders and officials during the summit’s final day. 

Most importantly, there is no credible evidence that all, or even several, BRICS leaders died after eating food at the summit. A claim involving the deaths of multiple serving heads of state would ordinarily generate extensive official announcements and independent reporting across the countries concerned. Instead, the available official records document leaders completing the summit, departing India and continuing with their respective public duties.

The evidence therefore shows that the online narrative was built by connecting unrelated pieces of information: a meal served to journalists, Ramaphosa’s confirmed but unspecified illness, and unsubstantiated claims about Xi and other leaders. There is no evidence establishing that the food shown online was eaten by the leaders, that it caused illness, or that any BRICS leader died as a result.

Verdict

The claim that Leaders died after eating the food at BRICS Summit is FALSE