A few days ago, amidst the aftermath of the Morocco earthquake, a disturbing video started spreading on social media. This video portrayed a building’s collapse triggered by a seismic event. The video was shared by many users, the main ones being @ZagazOlaMakama, @GeorgeAnagli, @TheKashmiriyat, @mubeenr25, @ChaudharyParvez and @AllahGreatQuran. Unfortunately, an Indian news portal Free Press Journal picked up the video with misleading claims. Read the article here [archive].
Source Verification of Morocco earthquake disturbing video
Our investigation led us to the original source of the video, which had been uploaded on YouTube in December 2022. On the YouTube channel, the video is explicitly attributed to Morocco, where a building collapsed due to heavy rainfall. The video documents the collapse of two buildings in Derb Moulay Cherif, situated within the district of northern Casablanca. Firstly, this incident unfolded in January 2021, long before the recent quake struck. Importantly, the video captures a tragic event caused by heavy rainfall, not seismic activity. Its resurgence on social media occurred in December 2022. However, our fact-check has uncovered that this disturbing video has no connection to the recent earthquake in Morocco.
Debunking Misleading Claims and the Intent:
Contrary to the false information being spread, the building’s collapse in the video had no association with the recent earthquake. Instead, it resulted from heavy rainfall that pounded the area on January 7, 2021. During that period, Casablanca grappled with severe floods, which inflicted considerable damage on infrastructure, residences, and transportation networks.
The spreading of this misleading and disturbing video appears to be a deliberate act, aimed at sowing panic and fear among the individuals affected by the recent earthquake in Morocco. Misinformation of this nature can lead to unwarranted anxiety and confusion during an already challenging period. In conclusion, the disturbing video circulating on social media, purportedly depicting a building collapse linked to the recent Morocco earthquake, is unequivocally misleading and false. This video, which dates back to January 2021, records an incident triggered by heavy rainfall, not an earthquake.
Following comprehensive analysis and meticulous fact-checking, our team has investigated the claim. You can refer to the findings of this inquiry in the Twitter thread embedded below. Also read articles by local news media portals, www.moroccoworldnews.com, by clicking here [archive] and here [archive].
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— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) September 12, 2023
ANALYSIS: Misleading
FACT: A disturbing video of a building collapse has been shared, claiming to be from the recent #moroccoearthquake . The fact is that this video is old and has nothing to do with the Earthquake. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/NvJJFvEzf3
Claim: A disturbing video showcases a building being collapsed after the recent earthquakes in Morocco.
Fact: The video has no ties to the earthquake; it documents a 2021 incident triggered by heavy rain.
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