Fact Check: Cyclone Ditwah destroys bridge in Sri Lanka? No, image shows Hyderabad’s Moosarambagh bridge
An image showing an under-construction structure surrounded by overflowing water is going viral online with the claim that it shows damage wrecked by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka.
By - K Sherly Sharon
Claim:The image shows damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka.
Fact:The claim is false. The image shows an under-construction bridge in the Moosarambagh Bridge in Hyderabad on September 27, after heavy floods led to the Musi River overflowing.
Hyderabad: Cyclone Ditwah wreaked destruction in Sri Lanka, with the death toll reaching 410 and 336 people missing. In this context, an image is widely circulating online with the claim that it shows the damage caused by the cyclone in Sri Lanka.
The image shows what appears to be a partially constructed concrete structure with exposed steel reinforcement bars in the middle of a flood. A line of apartments can be seen in the distance.
The text on the image reads, “Sri Lanka Floods Kill 56, Widespread Damage”. This image was shared on Facebook by the user ‘Goa365 TV’. (Archive)
The same image was used by several news organisations in reports on Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka. Some of the organisations that published these reports include Manorama Online (Archive), Telugu Post (Archive), Bhaskar Digital (Archive), One India (Archive) and ABP Live Punjabi (Archive).
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The viral image is from Hyderabad.
Using a reverse image search, we found a video shared by Deccan Chronicle on X. The video was shared on September 27 with the caption, “#Hyderabad | Heavy rains raise Musi river levels. Authorities begin evacuation from low lying areas. #Telangana”
Analysis of the video
The video shows the same location seen in the viral image. As the camera pans across the flooded area, a partially constructed concrete structure with exposed steel reinforcement bars is clearly visible in the middle of water. Comparison of the viral image and a screenshot from the video can be seen below.
The comparison shows the similarities between the two images, which include a partially submerged metal debris structure beside the bridge and a structure that runs parallel to the under construction bridge pillar on its left.
What happened during the Musi floods?
A news video bulletin published by TV9 Shorts on YouTube also shows a similar video clip of the viral image location.
The YouTube video was published on September 27 with the title, ‘Musi River Floods: The Musi turned ferocious, and the life of the poor has been washed away’ (Translated from Telugu)
The five-second video clip can be seen from the 2:18 minute mark to the 2:23 minute mark in the video. As the camera pans the flooded area, the text on the video reads ‘Moosarambagh Bridge’ in Telugu.
NewsMeter published a report on September 27 about the closure of the Moosarambagh Bridge after the Musi River flowed above the danger mark following heavy rains in Hyderabad.
The cover image of the report also shows the overflowing Musi River and the under-construction Moosarambagh Bridge.
Several news organisations like The Siasat Daily, Munsif Daily, Hindustan Times and V6 Telugu have published reports about the Musi river overflowing and the Moosarambagh Bridge being affected.
According to reports, due to unprecedented heavy rainfall in Hyderabad during the last week of September, the Musi River overflowed. The existing Moosarambagh bridge was closed. Construction of a new high-level bridge in Moosarambagh began in January 2024. It is designed to be 10 meters above the water level to withstand future floods.
Powerful currents dislodged and swept away temporary centring structures used in the construction between pillars P1 and P2. Officials clarified that the concrete spans of the new high-level under-construction bridge were not damaged and remain structurally sound.
The viral image was also uploaded to Getty Images, which confirms the date when the image was taken. The description states that the image was shot by Noah Seelam on September 27.
X user @HiHyderabad shared a video showing the aerial view of Musi River Floods at Moosarambagh. This video shows the same under-construction bridge and debris floating in the overflowing Musi River.
Using Google Maps, we found the location from the viral image. The same under-construction bridge pillar can be seen on the Google Maps Street View image of Moosarambagh Road from March 2025.
Therefore, it is clear that the viral image shows the under-construction Moosarambagh Bridge surrounded by the overflowing Musi River on September 27. NewsMeter concludes that the viral claim is false.
