ADVERTISEMENTREMOVE AD

Old Image of Flooded Chennai Airport Falsely Shared as Ahmedabad Airport

This image is from Chennai airport and dates back to 2015.

Published
story-hero-img
i
Aa
Aa
Small
Aa
Medium
Aa
Large

A photo showing a flooded airport hangar showing multiple airplanes partially submerged under water is going viral on social media to claim that this image is from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel airport of Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

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

What's the truth?: The image is not from Gujarat but from Tamil Nadu.

  • It shows the flooded tarmac of the Chennai's International Airport due to heavy rainfall in December 2015.

ADVERTISEMENTREMOVE AD

How did we find out the truth?: We performed a reverse image search on the viral photo and came across a report by Hindustan Times shared on 3 August 2017.

  • The report carried the same viral image and the caption stated that this image shows flooded Chennai airport from December 2015.

  • The article was about how Indian news agency Press Trust of India (PTI) inaccurately used an old image of flooded Chennai airport as flooded Chandigarh International Airport.

  • We also found reports by The Quint and Scroll about how PTI also used the old image as an image supposedly showing waterlogged Ahmedabad airport.

  • Several other media outlets also carried the image as from Ahmedabad and later issued an apology.

  • Following this, Union Minister Smriti Irani also called out PTI, addressing the error to which the agency responded saying that they have terminated the photographer's services.

We compared the visuals: To confirm the location seen in the image, we also compared the viral image with an image of Chennai International Airport on Google maps.

Is Ahmedabad flooded as claimed?: The city witnessed heavy rainfall on 22 July.

  • Ahmedabad recorded 124mm of rain which was the highest amount for a single day this season.

  • Several parts of the city were also waterlogged creating hindrance to public.

Conclusion: An old image of a flooded airport hanger from Chennai floods is going viral on social media as an image from Ahmedabad's airport.

(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9643651818, or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)

(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)

Speaking truth to power requires allies like you.
Become a Member
×
×