Fact-check: No, China was not punished in the form of floods, old video of Japan’s Tsunami viral with false claims

New Delhi (Vishvas Team): A video is being widely shared on social media where one can see vehicles are flowing in the flood waters. It is being claimed that China is being punished for spreading coronavirus in the world. This video was received on the Fact-Checking WhatsApp bot (+91 9599299372) for fact-checking as well. Vishvas News in its fact-check found the claims to be false. An old video of Japan’s Tsunami has been linked to the coronavirus pandemic and is being shared with false claims.

Claim

On various platforms of social networking website a video is being shared claiming it to be from China and relating it with coronavirus. Md Nasruddin Nasir, a Twitter user shared it with similar claims. User tweeted the video claiming that, “China deceived the world with the coronavirus pandemic and now is being punished by the God.”

Check the archive version of the tweet. The video is being shared by the same claim on YouTube too. Check the archive version of the YouTube video too. The same video has been shared claiming it to be from China floods which also destroyed a bridge in the country. Check the Tweet’s archive version of one such claim.

Investigation

Vishvas News first used the InVID tool to check the video. We considered the key frames from the same. Later, we used the Google Reverse Image Search on the key frames that we received on the InVID. In the search result, it was suggested that the images appeared from the Japan’s Tsunami disaster from the year 2011. We found numerous such old videos. Vishvas News found the very video being circulated with false claims on the YouTube channel takuro suzuki. This video was uploaded on 18 December 2011. Which obviously proves that it has no relation with the current situation in China. You can view the video as below.

The description of the video tells that the this is the Tsunami that was followed by an earthquake in the northern Japan. This video was taken from the roof of Ishinomaki Gas Company, which is a Japanese Gas Company. Another address in the video seen is, 2-3-48, Myojincho, Ishinomaki-shi, Miyagi. The screenshot of the description is as follows:

We saw a gas tank like structure in the video at 2 min 47 seconds, which can be seen in the viral video. The screen grab of that particular gas tank like structure can be seen below.

From the description that we found on the YouTube and the address 2-3-48, Myojincho, Ishinomaki-shi, Miyagi, we opted for the Google Maps. On the Ishinomaki-shi, Miyagi street view we found the exact similar gas tank like structure.

This was hence proved that the video belongs to the Japan’s deadly Tsunami of the year 2011. The video has been recorded from the roof of Ishinomaki Gas Agency.

In regards to the viral video, Vishvas News interacted with Assistant Professor Satyendra Singh Department of Higher Education, Geography at Madhya Pradesh. Satyendra Singh told Vishvas News, “An intense earthquake hit Japan in the year 2011. This intense earthquake resulted in Tsunami. This created a flood-like situation in Japan. This video belongs to that time.”

We scanned the profile of the Twitter user who shared this video, Md Nasruddin Nasir. This profile was created in August 2020. Until the fact-check 83 people were following the user.