Image from 2001 Landslide in El Salvador Falsely Shared as One From Wayanad

This image is from the 2001 landslide that hit El Salvador which was induced by an earthquake.

Fact-Check: This image is from El Salvador from 2001. 

(Source: The Quint/Screenshot) 

An image showing a landslide situation is being shared as visuals from Wayanad in Kerala.

• The deadly landslide in Wayanad has risen the death toll to 326 with search and rescue operations still underway. Around 200 hundred people are still suspected to be missing.

An archive of the post can be found here. 

(Source: X/Screenshot) 

(Archives of similar claims can be found here and here.)

Is this true?: The claim is false.

• This image is from 2001 showing a landslide in El Salvador.

What we found: We ran a Google reverse image search on the image and found Wikimedia Commons which stated that the image was from El Salvador.

Here is the file photo on WikiMedia. 

(SourceL WikiMedia/Screenshot) 

• The results also showed us a report by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) which stated the landslide triggered by the 2001 earthquake in El Salvador, which occurred in a neighbourhood close to Santa Tecla, buried many houses beneath a huge amount of soil.

• Further, a file photo in the Guardian's database also included this picture of the landslide in El Salvador.

Here is a preview of the Guardian's photos.

(Source: Guardian/Screenshot) 

Conclusion: An old image from El Salvador is being falsely shared as one from Wayanad, Kerala.

(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9540511818 , or e-mail it to us at [e-mail] and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)