A video of a rather unusual road accident is doing rounds on the Internet in context with cyclone Nivar which battered Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Thursday, November 26.
In the 17 seconds long video, a signboard can be seen flying off a wall and hitting two motorists amidst torrential downpour and gusty winds.
The claim
The clip has been shared by many on Facebook and Twitter with the claim that it depicts destruction caused by the recent severe cyclonic storm in Chennai.
"People of Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpet, Thiruvallur, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Puducherry & Mayiladuthurai districts should stay in as far as possible. When you come out, beware of trees, boards and electric poles around you," wrote one Twitter user while another said, "A scary video from Chennai, where a signboard falls upon a rider."
Have a look at the video here:
Scary video during a cyclone.#CycloneNivar #StayHome #horror pic.twitter.com/dOXL8uYF0s
— Anil Kaushik?? (@anilkaushik_) November 25, 2020
On the other hand, several social media users stated the footage is from Hyderabad's Mehdipatnam. The purported video has garnered over 65,000 views on the microblogging website alone.
Fact-check:
On conducting a reverse image search of a couple of keyframes from the viral clip, International Business Times, India, came across a news report by Pakistan daily The Express Tribune which stated that the clip is of an accident that took place in Karachi.
"Two motorcyclists were injured when a large billboard came loose and collapsed on them near Metropole Hotel during heavy rainfall," read the report dated August 7, 2020.
The clip in question was also shared by the Facebook page of The Express Tribune with the caption, "A billboard on Shahrae-Faisal road falls, injures bike riders."
The incident was also covered by Gulf News which reported that an advertising billboard fell off in Karachi due to gushing winds during heavy rain. The report further stated that in aftermath of the accident, Karachi's Commissioner Iftikhar Ali Shalwani ordered the removal of all the billboards in the city.
Thus, it can be concluded that an old clip from Pakistan is being passed off as havoc wreaked by cyclone Nivar in Chennai.
On a related note, the intense cyclonic storm has killed at least three people and injured as many after making landfall in southern India.
