Admissions 2025-26
Claim
During the 2024 floods, a viral video is being circulated on social media, claiming that it shows a live high- voltage electrical wire sparking on a flooded road in Bengaluru, India, due to heavy rainfall. The video purportedly depicts a hazardous situation where commuters are navigating a flooded street, risking electrocution.
Bengaluru, like many parts of India, has been experiencing heavy rainfall recently, leading to widespread flooding and waterlogging in various areas. Streets in Bengaluru have been transformed into rivers, submerging vehicles and homes, and causing significant traffic disruptions. Amid the ongoing monsoon chaos, several videos and images have surfaced on social media, capturing the severity of the situation.
A video, showing an electrical wire falling onto a flooded road with wires sparking, has gained significant traction. The video is accompanied by claims that it was filmed in Bengaluru, showing the risks faced by commuters due to the city’s heavy rains.
Fact
The claim that the video shows a live electrical wire sparking on a flooded road in Bengaluru is false. The footage was not filmed in Bengaluru but was actually taken in Can Tho, a city in Vietnam, which was also grappling with severe rainfall at the time. The video is from a completely different region, and the claim that it is from Bengaluru is FALSE.
Process of fact-checking:
Step-1: Reviewing the Claim and Supporting Evidence
The viral video, lasting approximately 26 seconds, shows a high-voltage power line snapping and falling on a waterlogged road. Sparks are visible as the electrical wire comes into contact with the floodwater, creating a dangerous spectacle. In the video, voices can be heard in the background warning others about the electric sparks, while a few vehicles can be seen driving through a drier part of the road, avoiding the flooded section. The video was found in Tuoi Tre-Vietnamese online news portal
Step- 2: Verification Process
To verify the claim, NewsMeter began by conducting a reverse image search of the video. The search led to an account on X (formerly Twitter) where the video was shared on October 16, 2024, with a caption indicating that the footage was taken in Vietnam.This immediately raised doubts about the video’s connection to Bengaluru.
Next, a keyword search was conducted to look for any reports from reliable news outlets that might provide context for the video. Several Vietnamese news articles were found the origin of the video.
Such as – VTVcab – Tin tức (facebook) and baotintuc.vn (news article)
- VietnamPlus, a local Vietnamese media outlet, published an article on October 16, 2024, titled ”Shocking scene of broken power line falling onto flooded street in Can Tho.” The article described how a high-voltage power line snapped and fell onto a flooded road during a heavy storm in Can Tho, Vietnam. The report confirmed that the power line sparked and emitted dangerous electrical activity in the floodwaters, much like what is seen in the viral video.
- Tuoi Tre News, in a report published on October 15, 2024, titled ”Hours-long rain leaves streets underwater in Vietnam’s Can Tho,” confirmed that the city of can Tho was experiencing severe flooding due to prolonged rainfall. This report mentioned that the city’s streets had been submerged for hours, creating dangerous conditions, including the incident shown in the viral video. The news outlet also posted the video story on their Youtube channel.
1.Fact-checking Results
The results of the investigation clearly indicated that the video was filmed in Can Tho, Vietnam, and not in Bengaluru. The video’s origin in Vietnam was corroborated by multiple local Vietnamese news reports, and the claims about it being filmed in Bengaluru were found to be unfounded.
Conclusion
The viral video claiming to show a live electrical wire sparking on a flooded road during the 2024 floods in Bengaluru is FALSE. The footage is from Can Tho, Vietnam, where a similar incident occurred during heavy rainfall. The city was experiencing severe flooding, and a broken high-voltage power line fell onto the waterlogged street, creating a dangerous situation.
About Fact- checking Club
The M.O.P. Fact-checking Club is a student-driven initiative on fact-checking of news stories. The main aim of the club is to build fact checking practice among students. Be a part of our fight against fake news by sending us your queries on WhatsApp at 735870233.
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