Fact Check: Video Of Balasore Train Accident Going Viral With False Claim Related To Train Crash In Pakistan

New Delhi (Vishvas News): At least 34 people were killed (updated death toll as per Pakistan Minister) while many others sustained injuries after seven to eight bogies of the Hazara Express train, which was travelling from Karachi to Rawalpindi, derailed last week. Now, a video depicting a tragic train crash is going viral on the internet with claims that the video pertains to the train crash in Pakistan. After conducting an investigation, Vishvas News concluded that the viral claim is false. Contrary to the assertion, the viral video does not depict a train accident in Pakistan, rather, it shows a train accident that occurred in Balasore, Odisha in June.

Claim

On August 7, 2023, a Facebook user named ‘Andy Howlett’ shared the viral video along with an English caption stating, “At least 25 individuals have lost their lives and 50 have sustained injuries following the derailment of a train in Pakistan.” The archived link can be viewed here.

Investigation

To determine the authenticity of the post, an analysis of the viral video was conducted. During this examination, a logo was identified as being attached to the video. Subsequent research revealed that this logo belongs to ‘Odisha TV’. Further exploration on Odisha TV’s official YouTube channel unveiled that the video had been uploaded two months prior, as part of YouTube Shorts. Based on available information, it was confirmed that this video pertains to a train accident in Balasore, Odisha.

Throughout the investigation, multiple videos resembling the viral one were found to have been uploaded with identical information on platforms such as ANI, NDTV, India Today, and various other YouTube channels.

According to a report published on June 3, 2023, in Dainik Jagran, “The last three carriages of the Yesvantpur-Howrah Superfast train derailed and veered onto another track. The freight train situated on that track was stationary post the incident. Six minutes later, at 7 pm, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express collided head-on with the stationary freight train. The impact of the collision with the Coromandel goods train, traveling at a speed of 128 kmph, was so intense that several carriages climbed over the freight train and tumbled onto the adjacent track.”

A video of a train accident in Pakistan was discovered through a Google search using relevant keywords. This video was uploaded on the official YouTube channel of ‘The Telegraph’ on August 6, 2023, and is distinct from the viral video.

Based on a report by ABP News on August 6, 2023, a tragic train accident unfolded between Shahzadpur and Nawab Shah in Pakistan. Around 10 carriages of the Hazara Express derailed during this incident. The accident resulted in the demise of 15 passengers and left over 50 individuals injured. Local media accounts suggest that the train was en route from Karachi to Punjab at the time of the accident.

To verify the viral video’s origins, it was shared with Rashmi Ranjan Parida, the Editor of Odisha Diary. He confirmed, “The video is from a train accident that occurred in Balasore, Odisha in June.”

For more details, we reached out to Babbar Jalandhari, a reporter and social activist based in Pakistan. He clarified, “The claim made about the viral video is false. The video is unrelated to Pakistan and depicts an accident that transpired a few months ago in Odisha, India.”

Vishvas News has fact-checked some of the posts that went viral after the Odisha train accident. The fact-check report can be read here.

Lastly, an examination of the account belonging to the user who shared the video with the incorrect assertion was performed. It was ascertained that this user is followed by 8,075 individuals.