Fact Check: Is Gateway of India flooded due to heavy rains?

ByFactcheck India

July 27, 2024 #Fact Check, #Fact Check India, #Factcheck_in, #Floods, #Gate way of India, #Heavy rain, #India, #monsoon, #Mumbai, #Mumbai Rains, #Mumbaikar, #SOBO, #South mumbai,#TruthXIndia

A video is being shared widely showing flooding at the Gateway of India

A video is being shared widely showing flooding at the Gateway of India due to heavy rains.

To help you avoid false news, we present India TV Fact Check. The latest instance of fake news concerns the recent rains in Mumbai. A video is going viral on social media claiming that Mumbai’s famous Gateway of India has been flooded due to heavy rains. However, our fact-check revealed that this claim is false.

#MumbaiRains pic.twitter.com/sMlOLEWUt4
— Phantom (@Prashantphunt) July 22, 2024

What is going viral?

The financial capital of India has been witnessing heavy rains for the past few days. Due to the heavy rains in Mumbai, the government has urged residents to stay cautious. Amidst this, numerous pictures and videos related to the rain have surfaced on social media. One such video, showing flooding around the Gateway of India, is going viral. On the social media platform X, a user posted the video with the caption #MumbaiRains.

The video of the flood at the Gateway of India was being shared by many handles on social media. We searched for news related to flooding at the Gateway of India but found no recent claims of such flooding. We then used Reverse Image Search and found a video shared by ABC News on May 18, 2021, which matched the viral video. The caption read: “Gateway of India submerged as Cyclone Tauktae moved towards the west coast of India.” This confirmed that an old video is being shared as if it depicts the current rains in Mumbai.

The fact check revealed that the flood at the Gateway of India has nothing to do with the current rain in Mumbai. The video going viral is from the year 2021 when Cyclone Tauktae came. People are advised to be cautious of any such claim.

For All #Mumbaikars

Misinformation refers to false or inaccurate information that is unintentionally spread. It can occur due to misunderstandings, misinterpretations, or errors. Misinformation is often shared innocently, without malicious intent.

Examples of misinformation include:

Rumors: Spreading unverified stories or claims.
Mistaken Identity: Incorrectly attributing an event or statement to the wrong person.
Outdated Information: Sharing facts that were once true but have since changed.

Misinformation and disinformation pose a significant threat to societies worldwide, with particularly severe implications for countries like India. Spread of false information is critical risk perceived by experts across the globe. Addressing this challenge requires a multifaceted approach, including media literacy education, robust fact-checking mechanisms, and increased digital literacy among the population. Read more in our latest article about 4 quick things about misinformation.