Fact Check: Old Video of Car Swept Away in River Shared With Misleading Claim About Recent Cloudburst in Kullu

Claim:
A viral video on social media shows cars being swept away by a river during a recent cloudburst in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh.

Fact:
False Context – The video is old and dates back to July 2023 when the Beas River in Manali overflowed due to heavy rainfall, washing away several parked vehicles.

What’s Going Viral?

A dramatic video showing vehicles stranded in the middle of a river and one of which is seen getting swept away by a strong current and is being widely circulated on social media platforms. The video is being shared with captions claiming it is from a recent cloudburst in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh.

For example, a Facebook user DP Thakur shared the video on June 16, 2025, with the caption:

“Cloudburst in Kullu, many vehicles damaged.”
The caption on the video reads: “Cloud burst in Kullu and Mandi. Many people and vehicles have been swept away.”

Fact Check India

Factcheck India conducted an investigation into the viral claim and found it to be misleading.

Investigation:

1. Reverse Image & Keyword Search:
   • A keyword search led us to the official YouTube channel of Hindustan Times (@HT-Videos), where the same video was uploaded on July 9, 2023.

1. The video caption explained that tourist vehicles parked near the Beas River in Manali were swept away due to heavy rain and river overflow.
2. News Coverage:
   • Times Now reported on the incident on July 9, 2023, stating that the swollen Beas river caused the destruction of multiple parked vehicles.
   • The Free Press Journal also covered the same event on the same day, with visuals matching the viral video.

1. Expert Confirmation:
   • Speaking to Vishvas News, Navneet Sharma, Himachal Pradesh State Editor at Dainik Jagran, confirmed: “This video is from last year. There’s no such event recently. People share such content to grab attention.”
2. User Profile Review:
   • The Facebook user who shared the misleading video has over 5,000 followers, potentially increasing the spread of misinformation.

Conclusion:

The viral video claiming to show the aftermath of a recent cloudburst in Kullu is misleading. The video is from July 2023, during heavy rainfall in Manali, not from any recent event in 2025. It has resurfaced now with a false context to create panic and attract social media engagement.