Fact Check: Viral Video of Flood Is From Pakistan’s Swat Valley, Not Kedarnath
Vishvas News’s investigation concludes that the viral claim is deceptive. The video in question does not pertain to Kedarnath. It depicts the floods in Pakistan’s Swat Valley during September 2020. Certain users are mistakenly circulating it as Kedarnath footage.
- By: Jyoti Kumari
- Published: Aug 24, 2023 at 12:27 PM
Vishvas News (New Delhi): Heavy rains have triggered a disaster in Uttarakhand. The incessant rainfall has caused rivers and streams to overflow. Meanwhile, a video is circulating on social media depicting the rapid flow of water. Some users are currently sharing this video, falsely claiming it to be recent footage from Kedarnath.
In its investigation, Vishvas News discovered that the viral video is not related to Kedarnath. The footage actually captures the floods in Pakistan’s Swat Valley during 2020. Despite its accurate origin, the video is now being shared with the deceptive claim that it depicts Kedarnath.
What’s Going Viral
On August 14, 2023, a user named Shantilal Prajapat shared the viral video (archived link) on a Facebook page titled ‘Satsang-Satsang-Puranic Kahaniyan-Dhyan-Bhakti-Riti Riwaz wa Vagyanik Aadhar’. The video’s caption reads in Hindi, “Kedarnath mein ki bahad aayi dekhiye in this video. (Flood hits Kedarnath, see this video.)”
Investigation
During the investigation into the viral video, a reverse image search was conducted on the screenshot of the video using Google Images. This led to the discovery of a report on the website ‘aushimalaya.net‘ which was related to the viral video. The screenshot attached to the report clearly identified the location as the Swat Valley.
Further evidence was found on the official YouTube channel of Hum News Swat’s Bureau Chief Shereen Zada. A video uploaded on September 1, 2020, showcased similar scenes to those in the viral video, with the journalist discussing the floods in Swat, Bahrain. Another video report regarding the flood was also found on this channel.
Additionally, the viral video was identified on a YouTube channel named ‘Total Info’ uploaded on September 2, 2020, depicting the exact same footage. This corroborated the origin of the viral video in the Swat Valley of Pakistan.
On Facebook, numerous users also shared a video resembling the viral one, falsely attributing it to the Swat Valley. A video shared by a user named ᗷᗩしᗩᒍ ᏀᖇᗩᑭᕼᎩ on September 1, 2020, can be viewed in this regard.
For more insight, Brijesh Bhatt, district in-charge of Dainik Jagran, Rudraprayag, was contacted. He confirmed that the video is not from Kedarnath. Bhatt emphasised that while Uttarakhand had indeed experienced severe destruction due to heavy rainfall, the viral video was not captured in this region.
Rudraprayag District Disaster Management Officer NS Rajwar was also consulted. He clarified that the video circulating on internet platforms is not from Rudraprayag (Kedarnath) and reiterated that this region was not connected to the video in question.
Lastly, the user who shared the video with the misleading claim was examined. It was determined that the user is a resident of Dhanera, Gujarat, and has a Facebook following of 5,000 people.
Conclusion: Vishvas News’s investigation concludes that the viral claim is deceptive. The video in question does not pertain to Kedarnath. It depicts the floods in Pakistan’s Swat Valley during September 2020. Certain users are mistakenly circulating it as Kedarnath footage.
- Claim Review : Video of flood in Kedarnath.
- Claimed By : FB User Shantilal Prajapat
- Fact Check : Misleading
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