FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show An Explosion In Turkey?
A video shared on Facebook claims to show an explosion at a Turkish nuclear power plant following earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
Verdict: False
The video is from 2020 and shows the Beirut explosion, not a blast in Turkey. Turkey’s nuclear power plant has not reported any damage following the earthquake.
Fact Check:
Earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria, with preliminary casualty estimates suggesting over 11,000 had died, according to The New York Times. Several countries have sent rescue teams and humanitarian aid to the countries, The Associated Press reported.
The Facebook video claims to show an explosion at a nuclear power plant in Turkey following the earthquake. The claim was spread on Facebook and Twitter, with one tweet receiving over 1.3 million impressions.
BREAKING: Nuclear plant explode due to #Earthquake in #Turkey.
Not confirmed Is this real?
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Follow @CBKNEWS121 #PrayForTurkey #TurkeyEarthquake #deprem #Tsunami #Syria pic.twitter.com/D6Lp37X5xx
— CBKNEWS (@CBKNEWS121) February 6, 2023
However, through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found that the video is from 2020 and shows an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. The video was shared on YouTube in August 2020 in a compilation by Sky News covering the incident.
“The size of the explosion that ripped through the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut has shocked the world. Some 300,000 people have been left homeless, at least 130 were killed and thousands have been injured. But what do we know about where and how it happened?” reads the video description. (RELATED: Does This Video Show The Recent Tornado In Pasadena?)
The explosion in Beirut killed at least 218 people and injured over 7,000, according to France 24. The cause of the explosion was improperly stored ammonium nitrate and was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions recorded, Reuters reported.
Social media users have been using old footage and claiming it shows the aftermath of the earthquakes. For example, Check Your Fact recently debunked a video claiming to show a tsunami that followed the earthquakes.
