Welsh church fire has no Indian or Pakistani links, South Wales Police rubbishes social media claims

On April 24, a huge fire engulfed a 19th-century Welsh chapel in Port Talbot town of Wales. A video of the ablaze Bethany English Calvinistic Methodist Chapel quickly went viral on social media, sparking widespread speculation about the identities of those responsible for it. On social media, some claimed that the perpetrators were Indian immigrants named Raghav Patel and Rahul Kumar, while others alleged that two Pakistani nationals were behind the attack. Claims online went as far as suggesting that immigrants were contributing to an assault on Christianity in the United Kingdom.

These claims come amid heightened communal tensions within India following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on April 22, in which at least 26 were killed. Since then, there have been multiple reports of targeted ‘retaliatory’ attacks against Muslims, particularly Kashmiris, in various parts of the country. On social media, accounts that blatantly share pro-Hindu or pro-Pakistan content and misinformation have also been on the rise.

READ: Pahalgam and after: Tracking ‘retributive’ hate crimes against minorities across India

On April 27, X user Julia Kendrick (@JuKrick) shared a clip showing the Welsh church on fire, claiming that two Indian immigrants (Raghav Patel & Rahul Kumar) were behind the attack. This user also said, “Christianity is under attack in the UK”. At the time this article was written, the X post had over 389,000 views and was reshared over 3,200 times. (Archive)

Another X account, @seriousfunnyguy, also shared a clip of the burning church and claimed that two Pakistani nationals were responsible for it. The user also insinuated that cultural plurality was inevitably resulting in the destruction of locals’ culture. It said, “… they are destroying your culture and your religion for Sharia!”

At the time of writing this, the post has more than 106,000 views and was reshared over 15,000 times. (Archive)

Several other X users shared these claims, including Shefali Vaidya (@ShefVaidya), whose posts amplifying communal misinformation we have often flagged.

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Fact Check

A simple keyword search led us to several local news reports that said two teenage boys suspected of causing the fire were arrested. A report by Wales Online said that a 14-year-old boy from the Sandfields area and a 15-year-old boy from Bryn were arrested by South Wales Police on suspicion of arson. Both localities fall within Neath Port Talbot in Wales. The identity of the boys, including their full names or ethnicities, was not disclosed, likely because they are minors.

We then checked the official social media handles associated with South Wales Police for an official statement on the incident. On April 28, they shared an update on the case, which said that two teens from the Port Talbot area were arrested on suspicion of arson. It further added, “Other rumours circulating online are false and inflammatory, and we urge people not to share such claims.”

Alt News also reached out to South Wales Police for further clarification on the teens’ identities. In an email response, a spokesperson for the police confirmed there was “no link to India or Pakistan at all.” They further stated that the rumours circulating on social media over the weekend are “completely false,” and that the two teenagers are local residents from Neath Port Talbot.

Thus, the above findings make it amply clear that the viral posts claiming that Indian or Pakistani immigrants were behind the fire at the historic Welsh chapel are baseless.

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