Video of 2020 Beirut port explosion resurfaces as ‘Breaking News’
An old video of the Beirut port explosion from 2020 is being falsely shared as a recent event.
By Md Mahfooz Alam Published on 25 March 2023 3:36 PM IST
(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)
A video showing a massive explosion near a water body has gone viral. Social media users sharing the video are claiming that it shows an explosion at Beirut port in Lebanon.
An Instagram user shared the video on 22 March, calling it breaking news. The caption read, “Breaking news: Massive blast at Beirut port injures dozens across the capital. The source of the explosion was initially believed to be a major fire at a warehouse for firecrackers near the port in Beirut, the state-run National News Agency reported. The blast sent up a huge mushroom cloud-like shockwave and damaged buildings miles from the port, including the headquarters of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and CNN’s bureau in downtown Beirut.”
(Screengrab source: Instagram)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the video dates back to 2020.
On performing a reverse image search of the video’s keyframe, we found the same video published on 5 August 2020 by a verified YouTube channel, La Nación Costa Rica. The video is titled “Explosion in Beirut Lebanon VIEW FROM THE SEA.”
Next, we ran a keyword search on YouTube and came across a video published by Sky News on 6 August 2022. It is titled “Explained: What happened in deadly Beirut explosion.” The video shows the same explosion captured from a different angle. It said the size of the explosion was so big that it ripped through the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut. It also reported that 3,00,000 people were left homeless, at least 130 were killed, and thousands were injured.
An Aljazeera article from 4 August 2020 explained the reason behind the explosion and said 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate were stored in a warehouse at the Beirut port for six years. A fire caused the detonation of the ammonium nitrate, which led to a huge explosion.
It is evident that an old video of the Beirut port explosion from 2020 is being falsely shared as a recent event. Hence, we conclude that the use of the words “Breaking News” in the video caption is misleading.
