Authors
Twitter users have shared a video of people collapsing on the road in the backdrop of India’s second COVID-19 wave.
One such user’s tweet reads, “COVID-19 is on a rampage in India… Hospitals are struggling to cope… There is no a huge shortage of oxygen….This disease is vicious and cruel. #GetVaccinated and reduce the risk… Vaccines work… The Chinese vaccines are both safe & effective.”
The two-minute seventeen-second video shows disturbing visuals of people collapsing on the road. The latter half of the video shows people collapsed around fallen motorbikes on the road.
Newschecker received this claim on its Whatsapp tip line (9999499044) for verification.
India is witnessing a massive surge in active case counts in the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country registered 3.2 lakh active cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total active caseload to 28 lakh as on 27 April, as per data by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Shortage of beds, oxygen supply in several states has resulted in the death of many individuals who contracted the virus.
Fact Check / Verification
Through a combination of reverse image search of keyframes from the video and relevant keywords, we found the video aired by multiple news outlets during the Visakhapatanam gas leak tragedy in Andhra Pradesh last year.
An NDTV news bite from May 2020 aired similar visuals as seen in the claim’s video of people collapsed on the side of the road. The video’s description reads, “Visakhapatnam Gas Leak: Three people including a child were killed after toxic gas leaked from a chemical plant of a multinational firm in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam, officials said. Nearly 200 people have been admitted to hospital. Ambulances, fire engines and policemen have reached the chemical plant, officials said.”
Visuals from the claim’s video can be seen in India Today’s report on the gas leak tragedy titled, “Vizag Gas Leak Tragedy: Toxic Gas Leak At Visakhapatnam Chemical Plant Leaves Hundreds Hospitalised.”
A Telegraph India article on the Vizag gas leak tragedy includes similar visuals as seen in the claim’s video. A comparison of the visuals can be seen below.
A Styrene gas leak from LG Polymers Plant in Visakhapatnam in the early hours of 7 May 2020 spread over a three KM radius, affecting at least five villages. Hundreds of people fell sick with breathing difficulties as well as eye and skin irritation. At Least 8 had reportedly lost their lives, and around 20 critically affected at the time.
Conclusion
The video showing people collapsing on the road in the backdrop of India’s second COVID-19 wave is misleading. The visuals are from Visakhapatanam’s gas leak tragedy in Andhra Pradesh last year.
Result: Misplaced Context
Our Sources
NDTV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC3bQVuHtO8
India Today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxMuXoc7JgE
Telegraph India: https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/post-lockdown-vizag-gas-leak-kills-11/cid/1771225
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