2020 Beirut explosion falsely claimed to be in Paris
More than a month after a massive fire in central Paris injured 37 people, a video that revealed the flames of a powerful explosion was posted on social media, claiming that the incident took place in Paris, and the video, along with such claims, was redistributed several times. There were mixed comments and reactions as well. However, we found that the video was not linked to the recent event in Paris at all.
This is about our investigation of this claim.
Social Media Claim
A video clip showing a powerful explosion destroying an area has been posted on Facebook, along with claims that the accident happened in Paris, France. Video clips with this kind of writing have been shared many times, along with mixed opinions and reactions from many social media users who speak Khmer.
Below is the full video clip posted on social media with the caption: “Massive fire erupts in central Paris; more than 30 people were injured”.
Fact Check
Fact Crescendo Cambodia reviewed and verified the above claim through a Google Reverse Image Search, which brought us to the following facts:
We found several identical video clips showing the scene of one of the most powerful explosions above, which were published by many media outlets.
In its August 2020 report, Reuters reported similar scenes from an explosion involving an incident that took place in the port area of Beirut, Lebanon, which was caused by chemical ammonium nitrate.
The following is an image captured from the website above, written in English, stating “at least 135 people have been killed in an explosion in Lebanon’s port city last year”.
The blast was also reported by CNN in 2020. The above website states that the incident took place in the port area of Beirut, Lebanon, where an explosion of chemical ammonium nitrate was stored in a warehouse in this port area for six years before it exploded.
CNN News Report | Archived Link
The following is a video report from Global TV on August 8, 2020. The incident in fact took place in Lebanon, not Paris, France.
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You may find the details of this fact-check in Khmer language here as well.
Conclusion
Fact Crescendo Cambodia found the claim, as mentioned above, false. In fact, it was the scene of a powerful explosion that occurred in the port area of Beirut, Lebanon, on August 4, 2020. It did not recently take place in Paris, France.
