Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
Multiple videos showing the devastating floods in Libya that killed at least 10,000 people.
Fact
Viral videos were found to be of extreme-weather events in Japan, Saudi Arabia and Spain.
Several social media users are circulating multiple videos, purportedly of the devastating floods in Libya, particularly Derna, where at least 11,000 people have been killed. The videos can be seen here, here and here.
The Libya Floods
The death toll in Libya’s coastal city of Derna has soared to 11,300 with local officials suggesting that it could be much higher than announced. Daniel, an unusually strong Mediterranean storm, caused deadly flooding in communities across eastern Libya, where the worst-hit was Derna. As the storm pounded the coast on Sunday night, two dams outside the city collapsed causing floodwaters to gush down Wadi Derna, a valley that cuts through the city, crashing through buildings and washing people out to sea.
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Video 1
Newschecker ran a reverse image search of keyframes of the video, which led us to this Facebook post, dated July 3, 2021, stating, “Massive landslide destroys a portion of the town in Izusan, Atami (Japan). Reports say over a dozen people were missing.”
A relevant keyword search led us to this Al Jazeera report, dated July 3, 2021, stating, “At least two people have been killed and many others have been reported missing on Saturday, after heavy rains hit Japan’s central city of Atami in Shizuoka, triggering landslides, according to the public broadcaster NHK.” Similar reports can be seen here and here, confirming that the viral video is of the 2021 landslide in Japan.
Video 2
Newschecker ran a reverse image search of keyframes of the video, which led us to this Youtube video, uploaded on April 8, 2016, stating that it is a flood at Wadi El Farsha.
A further search led us to multiple Facebook posts by Arabic media outlets, dated April 8, 2016 and April 9, 2016 respectively, stating that the clip showed a flood in Wadi Al Farshah in Saudi Arabia.
Video 3
Newschecker noticed that several users in the comments pointed out that the video was from Spain. A relevant keyword search led us to this Youtube video, dated July 10, 2023, by 9 News Australia. “Vision has emerged from the Spanish city of Zaragoza, where streets have been inundated with water following torrential rain earlier this week,” read the description.
“A violent storm has caused major flooding in Zaragoza, Spain, making rescue efforts difficult and causing parked cars to be washed away by the raging water as their desperate owners cling to the roofs,” read a Daily Express report, dated July 7, 2023, confirming that the viral video is of the July 2023 flash flood in Spain. A similar report can be seen here.
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Conclusion
Old videos of landslides and floods in Saudi Arabia, Japan and Spain falsely claimed as visuals of the deadly 2023 Libya floods.
Result: False
Sources
Al Jazeera report, July 3, 2021
Facebook post, April 8, 2016
Youtube video, 9 News Australia, July 10, 2023
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Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
