FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show A Building Falling In The Aftermath Of The Turkey Earthquakes?

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

A video shared on Twitter claims to show a building falling in the aftermath of the Turkey earthquakes.

Verdict: False

The video was taken weeks before the earthquakes. The footage likely stems from Saudi Arabia.

Fact Check:

The United Nations is estimating over 50,000 people are dead following earthquakes that struck Turkey earlier in February, according to DW. While international aid has poured into Turkey, Syria has struggled to get aid and launch rebuilding efforts following the disaster, The Associated Press reported.

The video, viewed more than 60,000 times, claims to show a building falling in the aftermath of the earthquakes. The video’s caption reads, “God help #Turkey” along with hashtags indicating that this video shows events in Turkey.

This video, however, is not from the earthquakes. Through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found that the video is from January 2023 and was taken weeks before the earthquakes. The video was posted to Twitter by an account that “monitor for you from within the city of Jeddah what is happening in terms of demolitions and bulldozing.”

The video appears to have been taken in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and shows a building demolition. The aftermath of the building demolition can be seen on YouTube.

The video was geo-located to Old Mecca Road in Jeddah by Reuters. Saudi Arabia has been razing down buildings under Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s plan to redevelop parts of Jeddah for tourism, according to NPR. (RELATED: Does This Image Show A Boy In The Aftermath Of The Turkey Earthquake?)

Misinformation surrounding the aftermath of the Turkey earthquake has been widespread since it occurred Feb. 6. Check Your Fact recently debunked a video showing rescue workers saving a cat from the rubble of a building.

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
Follow Elias on Twitter Have a fact check suggestion? Send ideas to [email protected].

Trending