Fact Check: Video of fire accident shared with communal twist
A video of a fire accident has gone viral on social media. Users claim that it has happened in Bangladesh's Rangpur.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 20 Oct 2021 7:30 AM GMT
Hyderabad: A video of a fire accident has gone viral on social media. Users claim that it has happened in Bangladesh's Rangpur.
"Breaking News 18/10/2021 AM Terrible situation in Rangpur. Houses of a particular community have been set ablaze. A religious place has been torched. Fire and looting took place in Butter Bazar Majhipara of Ramnathpur union in Pirganj Upazila of Rangpur district," reads the translation of the message on Facebook.
Original claim: রংপুরে ভয়াবহ অবস্থা। হিন্দুদের বাড়িঘর ও মন্দির জ্বালিয়ে দেওয়া হয়েছে। রংপুর জেলার পীরগঞ্জ উপজেলার রামনাথপুর ইউনিয়নের বটের বাজার মাঝিপাড়া সহ দুটি গ্রামে অগ্নিসংযোগ ও লুটপাট।"
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Fact Check
The claim is false.
NewsMeter ran keyword searches on Facebook in Bangla. The team found that a Facebook user had shared the same video on October 13, 2021.
"A section of shops and a Durga Puja pandal gutted in fire in Maracherra Bazar," reads the description.
With the help of the internet, the team located Maracherra Bazar and found that it is in Tripura.
The caption is in Bangla- " আগুনে পুড়ে ছাই হয়ে গেল মরাছড়া বাজারের একাংশ দোকান ও দূর্গা পূজা মণ্ডপ"
We searched for news reports about the incident. The fact check team found the same viral video was used by a local channel in its news bulletin. It was also uploaded on Facebook and YouTube.
Click here and here to see the News Bulletin.
"The fire broke out at midnight of Tuesday (October 12) in Maracherra Bazar under Kamalpur Police Station, Dhalai District of Tripura. Four shops and a Durga Puja Pandal were gutted in the incident. Firemen rushed to the spot and doused the flames," said Time8 on October 14.
https://www.time8.in/puja-
Another local Bangla outlet ` Syandan Patrika' reported that property worth Rs 16 lakh was damaged.
Hence, the viral video of the fire accident is from Tripura, not Bangladesh.
