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4 Unrelated Viral Claims from Recent Quake in Turkey, Syria

Here are four viral claims from the recent devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria, which turned out to be fake or unrelated.


A set of videos and photos went viral, claiming that they are from Turkey and Syria. The countries were recently hit by a devastating earthquake on February 6, which reportedly killed more than 9,500 people, destroyed hundreds of homes, and injured several people. Here are four viral claims from this series.

Viral claim 1:

The image shows a boy sitting on rubble, holding his head in his hands. News outlets shared the image associated with the earthquake in Syria and Turkey.

Foolproof: The viral claim is false. The viral image was clicked by photographer Zapylaieva Hanna. In her post, she said, “Since yesterday, links to news, screenshots about the earthquake in Turkey with a photo of a boy began to be shared with me. In 2018, my husband, my son Leo, and I went for a walk in Goloseevskiy Park in Kyiv, Ukraine…There was an old destroyed building near the park.

Abandoned buildings are always interesting. I thought I would take pictures that might illustrate something other than the joy of life. Like wars, earthquakes… We did a small series of shots, and I added them on Adobe and Shutterstock and forgot all about them,” said Hanna in her post.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=6096379377078842&id=100001205195363

Viral claim 2:

The video shows an earthquake shaking up the interiors of a restaurant. People take cover under the restaurant’s tables, and the tremors stop after some time.

Foolproof: The viral claim is misleading. The video was published by the Turkish news outlet Milliyet on October 31, 2020. Izmir, Turkey, experienced an earthquake of 6.6 magnitudes, according to the Milliyet report.

Viral claim 3:

The video shows an entire building collapsing, which leads to streets being filled with dust. People can be seen walking in these dusty streets and looking through the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Foolproof: According to a report, by The Guardian, published on October 30, 2020, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake was felt by the Aegean region of Turkey. Der Spiegel published the same report containing the viral video. Hence, it is wrongly associated with the recent quake.

Viral claim 4:

A video of 2 buildings collapsing is making the rounds on social media, with the claim that it is from the recent earthquake in Turkey.

The video is from a building collapse which took place in Miami, Florida. According to the New York Times report dated June 24, 2021, the building was unstable and dangerous, which caused the collapse. As a result, more than 90 people went missing and one person was killed. Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida told media that search-and-rescue teams had “made contact” with some people and still hoped to identify survivors caught in the dusty jumble of concrete and steel.

To provide aid to disaster-hit countries, India sent a disaster management team for relief work.

 Are you looking for foolproof news? Mail it to us at ayushi.oneworldnews@gmail.com or WhatsApp at 09958460807.

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Ayushi Mittal

In her journey to become a journalist, Ayushi can inculcate your tale through her news writings. You may find her with a mike in protests, rallies, or in museums. So what's your story?
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