WebQoof Recap: Of Turkey-Syria Earthquake, Hindenburg Report & More

Here's a recap of the top five pieces of misinformation that we debunked this week.

After the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, social media has been abuzz with old and unrelated videos being linked to the tragedy. We have debunked several such claims over the last one week.

Read our recap to know more.

1. Old Video From Saudi Arabia Linked to Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria

News organisations CNBC Awaaz and News18 Odia have shared a video of a building collapsing and crumbling into a pile of debris by linking it to the earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday and Tuesday, 6-7 February.

However, the video is from Saudi Arabia and versions of the same have been on the internet since January.

You can read our fact-check here.

2. That's a German Minister With Rahul Gandhi, Not Hindenburg's Chief

An image of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with a man, who is being identified as the founder of Hindenburg Research Nathan Anderson, is being shared on social media.

The claim furthers the narrative that Gandhi was behind the Hindenburg report, which levelled allegations of money laundering and stock market market manipulation against the Adani Group.

However, the photo shows Rahul Gandhi with Niels Annen, who is Germany's Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

You can read our fact-check here.

3. These Videos Don't Show The Destruction Due to Recent Earthquake in Turkey

A set of two videos showing a building collapsing and people running to safety is being widely shared on social media linking it to the earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday, 6 February.

However, both these videos have been on the internet since at least October 2020.

• The first shows a building collapsing during an earthquake in Turkey's Izmir region in October 2020.

• While we couldn't find any verified source for the second clip, we found that it has been on the internet since 2020.

You can read our fact-check here.

4. Clipped Video Shared to Claim That Gadkari Didn't Clap During PM Modi’s Speech

A video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi giving the Motion of Thanks in the Parliament is being shared on social media, where several ministers are seen thumping their tables to laud Modi, while chanting his name.

However, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari does not appear to be clapping in this video.

But, the video is edited.

• In the longer version of the video uploaded to Sansad TV's verified YouTube channel, one can see Gadkari thumping the table along with several other ministers, but pausing for a few seconds.

• He then resumes clapping before the camera cuts away to show other parliamentarians.

You can read our fact-check here.

5. Siddique Kappan’s Fake Twitter Account Emerges After His Release From Jail

On 2 February, incarcerated journalist Siddique Kappan walked out of jail after a Lucknow court signed the order of his release.

He was arrested in 2020 by the Uttar Pradesh police while he was on his way to Hathras, where a 19-year-old Dalit girl had died after she was allegedly raped.

Now a Twitter account posing to be Kappan is active on the microblogging platform.

However, on inspecting the Twitter ID, we found that the earlier username of the account was '@AmarPas28124530'.

Further, Siddique Kappan's wife Raihanath Kappan also confirmed to The Quint that the account is fake.

You can read our fact-check here.

(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 [e-mail] and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)