Japan Earthquake: Misleading or purported videos of an earthquake and tsunami (which occurred on Jan 1) claiming to be that of Japan went viral on Monday.
The videos circulated on X, formerly Twitter showed the damage and rescue pleas from people claiming to be trapped under collapsed buildings.
NHK WORLD-JAPAN which is the international service of Japan's public media organization NHK, also called out these videos for spreading misleading or false information concerning the earthquake and tsunami that hit central Japan on Monday.
It has also urged social media users to verify the authenticity of any information or media before reposting it.
Here are some of the old videos circulating on X claiming to be from the earthquake which occurred on January 1 and the tsunami that followed.
‼️🇯🇵🌊 A dam in Ishikawa Prefecture could not withstand the tsunami that began after the earthquake in #Japan. #Tsunami pic.twitter.com/4DQ0RksuWg
January 1, 2024Latest Footage : Look at this damage in Japan. Terrible way to start 2024😓#japan #earthquake #tsunami #TsunamiWarning pic.twitter.com/WLIuNg9JIi
January 1, 2024Story Behind The Fake Videos
The videos are from the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, 2011. It is also known as the Great East Japan Earthquake.
The earthquake, one of the most powerful ever recorded, triggered a massive tsunami that caused widespread destruction along the Pacific coast of Japan's northern Honshu island. The city of Kamaishi was one of the many coastal cities severely impacted by the tsunami.
Kamaishi, which is located in Iwate Prefecture, faced significant damage due to its coastal location. The tsunami waves overcame the city's sea walls, which were among the world's largest and were believed to be tsunami-proof. The disaster resulted in the loss of many lives and the destruction of homes, buildings, and infrastructure.
Many verified user handles on X have fact-checked the videos shared on the social media platform to avoid further circulation. Many of these videos are also getting fact-checked by the users who are using community notes to verify the images/videos by using reverse image/video search.
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January 1, 2024
ANALYSIS: Misleading
FACT: A video that shows floating cars by huge waves due to #tsunami ,shared claiming to be from the recent #Earthquake in the #Japan . The fact is this video is from the tsunami that absorbed Kamaishi City in 2011. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/7gPgAxhfdcThe Earthquake of January 1, 2024
A massive earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 hit north-central Japan on Monday, January 1. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a tsunami warning along the coast of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama, according to Japanese news agency NHK TV.
A total of around 21 earthquakes, registering 4.0 magnitude or stronger, struck central Japan in quick succession over 90 minutes on Monday. The strongest tremor hit at 16:10 local time (07:10 GMT), measuring 7.6.
Japan's Meteorological Agency has also lifted all tsunami advisories along the Sea of Japan. This comes after a strong earthquake struck late Monday afternoon
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