Fact Check: Old Video Of Snowfall In JK Being Passed Off As Recent

New Delhi (Vishvas News) – A video of snowfall is going viral on social media, with users claiming it to be from the recent snowfall in Daksum Kokernag, Kashmir.

Upon investigation, Vishvas News found that this claim was false. The viral video is from May 2023, and there has been no recent snowfall in Daksum Kokernag.

What’s Going Viral:

On September 22, Facebook user Mir Bilal shared this video, and wrote in the caption, “Fresh snowfall in Daksum Kokernag on September 22, 2023”.

You can check the archived version of the post here.

Investigation:

Vishvas News used the Google reverse image search tool to check the claim. Our search led us to the profile of a Facebook user named Sajad Vani, who had uploaded the video on September 22. The accompanying caption clarified the video’s true origin. He wrote: “Aasalamulykum Everyone, Attention, I’d like to clarify that the video you’ve seen of Daksum Kokernag’s area viral on social media is not recent. It was originally uploaded by me in May 2023 as a reel, showcasing the epic snowfall we had back then. Please be cautious and avoid sharing it as if it were from today, as this could cause confusion and potentially spread false information. As of now, we’re in the autumn season in Kashmir valleys, and the probability of snowfall is minimal. I kindly request everyone not to engage with or share this 26-second old video that some pages are circulating, falsely claiming it as today’s footage. Spreading such misinformation can create unnecessary panic among people. Let’s be responsible with the content we share. Thank you for your understanding. Best regards (Sajad Wani)”

Further investigation revealed that Sajjad Vani had posted the video as a reel on May 8, 2023. The reel can be viewed here.

Additionally, we also found the local media coverage of this video. The ‘Kokernag News’, a local news website, issued a Facebook alert, and wrote, “ATTENTION, Fake news about fresh snowfall in Daksum kokernag circulated by some Facebook page. It’s requested that no one circulate this video, no fresh snowfall reported so far in Daksum Kokernag. The video is old, which is viral on social media.”

We also spoke to Sajad Vani over the phone and he said “I shot this video with my phone in May 2023. I also posted it on my Facebook on May 8, 2023. The video is not current.”

We conducted a search on websites that provide weather information and found no evidence of snowfall in the Daksum Kokernag area on September 22, 2023.

At the end of the investigation, we scanned the profile of the user (Mir Bilal) who shared the fake post. The Facebook user is from Jammu and Kashmir and currently lives in America. The user has around 5,000 friends on Facebook.

Conclusion: Vishvas News has verified that the viral post is false. The video in question dates back to May 2023, and there has been no recent snowfall in Daksum Kokernag in Jammu and Kashmir.

Tags

• #JammuandKashmir
• Jammusnowfall
• JK
• Snowfall