Fact-Check: Old Clips Peddled as Recent Visuals From Earthquake in Taiwan

We found that both the videos are old and unrelated to the recent earthquake that shook Taiwan.

Fact-Check | Both the videos are old and unrelated to the recent earthquake that hit Taiwan.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Two videos, which show a train shaking and a building collapsing, are being shared with users linking it to the recent earthquake that rocked Taiwan on Wednesday, 3 April.

What are users saying?: People have shared the clips with a caption that said, "BREAKING NEWS: Horrific #earthquake of 7.4 magnitude hit #Taiwan and #Japan. There is an alert that #Tsunami might hit them soon."

An archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: X (formerly Twitter)/Screenshot)

The video had garnered over 39 thousand views on the platform at the time of writing this report.

(More archives of similar claims can be found here, here, and here.)

Are these videos recent?: Both the videos are old and unrelated to the recent earthquake that hit Taiwan.

• The first video could be traced back to September 2022 and shows a train shaking due to an earthquake in Taiwan's Hualien.

• The second clip has been online since February 2023 and shows a building collapsing after an earthquake in Turkey.

VIDEO 1

A keyword search on YouTube directed us to the same video uploaded on the official handle of CGTN.

• The video was shared on 18 September 2022 with a title that said, "M6.9 earthquake strikes Taiwan's Hualien: CENC."

• Its description mentioned that the earthquake derailed train carriages, damaged properties, and sparked tsunami warnings.

News reports: A report published in NDTV said that an earthquake of a 6.9 magnitude hit the southeast coast of Taiwan. Following this, a tsunami warning was issued by Japan.

• It also carried the visuals of the train shaking due to the quake jolts.

The report was published on 18 September 2022.

(Source: NDTV/Screenshot)

VIDEO 2

We performed a reverse image search and came across the same visuals uploaded on the official YouTube channel of Reuters.

• The video was published on 6 February 2023.

• Its description said, "A dramatic video shows a building collapse in Turkey’s Sanliurfa province after a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck central Turkey and northwest Syria."

News reports: BBC News reported that the footage was recorded in the Haliliye district in Turkey. The video showed people running for cover as a building collapsed near them due to the earthquake.

• It further added that following the 7.8-magnitude quake, rescue operations were under way across southern Turkey.

The report was published on 6 February 2023.

(Source: BBC/Screenshot)

About the recent earthquakes in Taiwan: An earthquake of 7.2 magnitude shook Taiwan, which was the strongest tremor to hit the island in at least 25 years, Reuters reported.

• Four people lost their lives and several people were injured due to the quake.

• It sparked a tsunami warning for southern Japan and the Philippines that was reportedly lifted later.

Conclusion: It is evident that both the videos are old and unrelated to the recent earthquake in Taiwan.

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