Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
A video showing a child caught up in the string of a kite, lifted into the air, and tossed around by strong winds, before finally hitting the ground is going viral on social media platforms. Those who shared the clip claimed that it depicts an accident during the recently concluded Uttarayan festival, which involves kite flying, in Ahmedabad. Newschecker found the claim to be false. The video dates back to 2020, and shows visuals from Taiwan.
Several Twitter users shared the video showing a child entangled in a kite being swept into the air.
Archived versions of such tweets can be seen here, here, here and here.
The video is also doing the rounds on Facebook.
Links to such posts can be seen here, here, here and here.
The clip has also found a way to YouTube.
Also Read: 2019 Video Of Idols Bulldozed In Ahmedabad Shared With Political Spin
Fact Check/Verification
A Google search for “child,” “entangled/caught,” & “kite string” led us to a report by The Guardian, dated August 31, 2020, titled ‘Child, 3, catches in kite strings and is lifted high into air in Taiwan.’
Displaying snippets of the viral video, the report stated, “A three-year-old girl in Taiwan has been caught up in the strings of a kite and lifted high into the air in front of horrified onlookers, before being rescued unharmed.The unidentified girl was taking part in a kite festival on Sunday in the seaside town of Nanliao, near Hsinchu City, when she became entangled in a giant, long-tailed orange kite and was hoisted off the ground by several metres.”
A CNN report, dated August 31, 2022, on the incident, stated, “She (the girl) was immediately rushed to the hospital with her mother and festival staffers, but miraculously only suffered minor injuries with abrasions to her face and neck, according to Taiwan’s government-run Central News Agency. She has since been discharged and is home with her family.”
It added, “In a statement on Facebook, Hsinchu Mayor Lin Chih-chien apologised for the incident, and said the festival was immediately suspended to ensure attendees’ safety. “We will review the circumstances to prevent accidents like this from happening again, and hold people accountable,” he said. “
Multiple other news outlets had reported on the incident in August 2020. Such reports can be seen here, here and here.
Conclusion
We could thus conclude that the viral post claiming to show a child caught up in the tail of a kite, and lifted in the air in Ahmedabad is false. Neither the video is recent, nor is it from Ahmedabad. The video shows an incident that took place in Taiwan in August 2020.
Result: False
Sources
Report By The Guardian, Dated August 31, 2020
Report By CNN, dated August 31, 2022
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Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
