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.
Claim
Massive damage in Kashmir after the recent earthquake in Afghanistan and CCTV footage showing “moments” when the quake struck.
Fact
Old images showing aftermath of earthquakes in Turkiye and Pakistan shared in a false context. The CCTV footage is nearly an-year-old and unrelated to the recent Afghanistan earthquake.
A high intensity earthquake jolted Afghanistan on Tuesday night, with the tremors sending shock waves across several cities in Pakistan and Northern India. Soon after, social media platforms started to see unverified visuals claiming to show the aftermath and the intensity of the quake. Newschecker investigated several such visuals, and found that at least 5 were being shared in a false context.
Claim 1: Aftermath Of Recent Earthquake In Kashmir’s Kupwara
A photograph of a ramshackled multi-storeyed building is doing the rounds on social media platforms, with users sharing it to show the aftermath of the recent earthquake in Kupwara’s Karnah of Kashmir. A few users further claimed that at least three people were dead in Karnah due to the recent earthquake.
Such posts can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
Fact Check/Verification
A Google reverse image search on the viral photograph led us to a report by Bloomberg, dated February 6, 2023, tilted ‘In Pictures: Desperate Rescuers Scour Rubble for Turkey Earthquake Survivors.’
The report carried a series of pictures showing the aftermath of the massive earthquake that jolted Turkiye last month. The photo essay featured the viral image with the caption, “A destroyed building in Kahramanmaras, Turkey,” and was credited to “Photographer: Firat Ozdemir/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images.”
A NBC News report, dated February 6, 2023, also carried the viral photograph to show the “scenes of grief and destruction after devastating earthquakes in Turkey…”
Hence, an old image from Turkiye has been falsely linked to the recent earthquake in Kupwara’s Karnah in Kashmir.
Further, we found a tweet by the Deputy Commissioner of Kupwara clarifying that there was “no loss of any life or property” in Karnah. Adding, “The News spread on social media platform regarding 3 deaths, is fake, concocted and baseless. Please don’t spread such fake news. (sic)”
Result: False
Also Read: Old Videos From Nepal, Turkiye Falsely Linked To Recent Earthquake In Tajikistan
Claim 2: A Set Of Images Showing Damage In Kashmir After Earthquake
Several social media users shared a set of three images claiming to show “heavy damage” in Kashmir after the recent earthquake. The first shows a huge crack on the road, while another is of a man standing in front of a dilapidated building. Thirdly, a photograph of buildings fallen into pieces is also being shared as the aftermath of the recent earthquake in Kashmir.
Such posts can be seen here, here, here, here, here and here.
Newschecker investigated the images one-by-one.
Image 1 & 2
A Google reverse image search on the viral photograph of a huge fissure of the road led us to a report by The Guardian, dated September 25, 2019, titled, ‘Pakistan earthquake leaves 19 dead and 300 injured in Kashmir region.’
The report carried the viral photograph with the caption, “A news cameraman films a damaged road following an earthquake on the outskirts of Mirpur on September 24, 2019.”
It was uploaded on Getty Images with the same caption. Adding,” At least 19 people have been killed and 300 wounded after a shallow earthquake rattled north-eastern Pakistan, a senior police officer said, with the tremor tearing car-sized cracks into roads and heavily damaging infrastructure.”
The Guardian report also featured the viral picture of a man in blue attire standing in front of a dilapidated building. The image was captioned, “A Pakistani man stands beside a collapsed building following an earthquake on the outskirts of Mirpur. “
A report by The Weather Channel also carried the image to show the aftermath of an earthquake that jolted Pakistan on September 24, 2019.
Image 3
A Google reverse image search on the viral picture led us to a report by News 18, dated September 25, 2019 , titled, Aftermath Photos Show Damages After Earthquake in Pakistan’. The report carried the viral image with the caption, “People walk on a road damaged by a powerful earthquake that struck in Jatlan near Mirpur, in northeast Pakistan.”
The image was also featured in a CBC report on the September, 2019 earthquake in Pakistan.
We could thus conclude that images of the aftermath of a 2019 trembler are being shared in a false context to show “huge damage” after the recent earthquake in Kashmir.
Result: False
Claim 3: Moments Of Recent Afghan Earthquake Captured On CCTV
CCTV footage of a man sitting on a child’s chair escaping by an inch after a floor collapses is going viral on social media platforms. Those who shared the video claimed that it shows the “moments of yesterday’s earthquake” in Afghanistan.
Such posts can be seen here, here and here.
Fact Check/Verification
A Yandex reverse image search on the keyframes of the viral video led us to a tweet by @kendininkedisi, dated October 6, 2022. Carrying the viral video, the post stated, “No, if they had informed the man, he would not have been able to get away like this if they had drawn that it would collapse over there. (translated from Turkish)”
A Facebook post by Tosbar OPP, dated September 27, 2022, also featured the viral footage, thereby helping us to conclude that the video is not related to the recent earthquake in Afghanistan.
The video was also carried by Russian website fishki.net in an article dated June 15, 2022. It stated, “An employee at a Chinese construction company decided to take a break and sat on a children’s chair not far from his colleagues. A few seconds later, the floor suddenly collapsed underneath him.”
Result: False
Sources
Report By Bloomberg, Dated February 6, 2023
Report By NBC News, Dated February 6, 2023
Tweet By @dckupwara, Dated March 21, 2023
Report By The Guardian, Dated September 25, 2019
Getty Images
Report By The Weather Channel, Dated September 25, 2019
Report By News 18, Dated September 25, 2019
Tweet By @kendininkedisi, Dated October 6, 2022
Facebook Post By Tosbar OPP, Dated September 27, 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.
