Lighthouse Journalism came across a video that was being widely circulated on various social media platforms. The one-minute clip depicted a sinkhole suddenly opening up on a busy street, causing alarm among viewers.
The claim suggested that the incident had occurred near the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai, with users asserting that the video was from a recent event.
However, upon verification, Lighthouse Journalism found that the video was neither from Mumbai nor from any location in India. The clip is, in fact, an old one originating from Bangkok.
Claim:
X user @shivalicglgale shared the viral video with a misleading claim.
Other users are also sharing the same video with a similar claim.
Investigation:
We initiated the investigation by conducting a reverse image search on the keyframes extracted from the video.
This led to a video uploaded by USA Today. The video was uploaded in September, and the description said: A sinkhole opened up near the construction site of a new underground train line in Bangkok.
We found a video on Al Jazeera’s YouTube channel, also.
We found a video report about it on The Star.
We also found news reports about the same.
We found the keyframes of the viral video in a news report by The Indian Express.
The report said: What usually plays out as a CGI-heavy scene in a disaster movie unfolded in Bangkok on September 24. A huge section of road outside a hospital suddenly caved in, creating a gaping sinkhole that swallowed cars, electricity poles, and water pipes.
Conclusion: Video of a sinkhole in Bangkok is being widely shared as a recent video of a sinkhole in Mumbai. The viral claim is misleading.
