Video of car crashing over embankment not storm Dineo's work - it's from Pakistan
This article is more than 7 years old
Tropical storm Dineo, which has wreaked havoc in Mozambique, made landfall in South Africa’s northeastern regions on Thursday.
Many South Africans took to Twitter to share concerns and advice about the storm, even adding some humour to the event. (Think #ThingsDineoShouldTakeWithHer.)
Among the many pictures and videos of the tropical storm shared on social media, one was particularly frightening. In 30 sec clip, an SUV gets swept away by a strong current before crashing over an embankment.
Besides being shared and retweeted extensively - most notably by the City of Joburg - South Africa's largest daily newspaper published stills from the video on its front page. The source seems to be a Facebook post by user Ralikhuvhana Takalani Amos, which has been viewed more than 20,000 times at the time we published this spot-check.
But as we looked into it, we discovered that it was not Dineo’s work. In fact, it didn’t even take place in Africa.
A video of the tragedy was first posted to YouTube more than three weeks ago. The angle is slightly different from the one shared in South Africa. We also found footage from the opposite side of the river.
A news report at the time states that it was the result of a flash flood in Chaman, Pakistan, and that one person in the car had died.
As the winner of our tweet of the week said: Ponder before you post. You may just be detracting from what truly needs our attention and concern. - Jacquiline Chapoloko
Additional reading
https://africacheck.org/spot_check/no-storm-dineo-not-expected-affect-gauteng-sa-weather-service/
https://africacheck.org/factsheets/guide-how-to-spot-fakes-and-hoaxes-online/
Many South Africans took to Twitter to share concerns and advice about the storm, even adding some humour to the event. (Think #ThingsDineoShouldTakeWithHer.)
Among the many pictures and videos of the tropical storm shared on social media, one was particularly frightening. In 30 sec clip, an SUV gets swept away by a strong current before crashing over an embankment.
Watch Vehicle washed away during tropical storm Dineo in Mozambique https://t.co/TNXOWKrl93
— S.A Crime Watch (@crimewatch202) February 17, 2017
Besides being shared and retweeted extensively - most notably by the City of Joburg - South Africa's largest daily newspaper published stills from the video on its front page. The source seems to be a Facebook post by user Ralikhuvhana Takalani Amos, which has been viewed more than 20,000 times at the time we published this spot-check.
But as we looked into it, we discovered that it was not Dineo’s work. In fact, it didn’t even take place in Africa.
A video of the tragedy was first posted to YouTube more than three weeks ago. The angle is slightly different from the one shared in South Africa. We also found footage from the opposite side of the river.
A news report at the time states that it was the result of a flash flood in Chaman, Pakistan, and that one person in the car had died.
As the winner of our tweet of the week said: Ponder before you post. You may just be detracting from what truly needs our attention and concern. - Jacquiline Chapoloko
Additional reading
https://africacheck.org/spot_check/no-storm-dineo-not-expected-affect-gauteng-sa-weather-service/
https://africacheck.org/factsheets/guide-how-to-spot-fakes-and-hoaxes-online/
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