What is the claim?
After a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Tibet near the Nepal border on January 7, 2025, a video has gone viral on social media showing a road with large cracks running through it. Several users claimed that the video depicts the devastation caused by the recent Lobuche earthquake in Nepal. One such post on Archived versions of similar messages are available here And here.
The video has also received a lot of attention on Facebook, with similar claims suggesting it was captured after the January 7 earthquake in Nepal. Archived versions of such messages can be accessed here, hereAnd here.
Screenshot of claims submitted online. (Source: X/Facebook/Adapted by Logically Facts)
According to a report from The Washington PostThe earthquake near the China-Nepal border claimed at least 125 lives and injured 188 others. The earthquake struck Tingri County, located on the high Tibetan plateau near the border with Nepal.
However, the now viral video has nothing to do with this recent earthquake. It dates back to 2015, when a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal near Kathmandu, killing nearly 6,000, injuring thousands and causing massive infrastructure losses.
What we found
Logically, Facts conducted a reverse image search and identified a similar video in an article published by The Guardian on April 25, 2015. The article describes the catastrophic consequences of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal in April 2015. It was one of the most powerful earthquakes to hit the region in 80 years.
The viral video and images from The Guardian show striking similarities. The 0:27 timestamp of The Guardian’s video shows individuals standing near a cracked road, which matches the scene shown at the 0:25 mark of the viral clip.
Comparing the scenes in the viral clip and The Guardian’s clip. (Source: X/The Guardian)
The viral video also features a Telegraph logo, indicating its origin. A keyword search led to the same clip uploaded to YouTube by The Telegraph (archived here) on April 25, 2015. The video description reads: “Footage shows large cracks developing in a road in Kathmandu, caused by a powerful earthquake that left at least 1,130 dead, according to local police.”
Although the video shows earthquake damage in Nepal, it is from 2015 and not from the recent event.
The verdict
A video of the aftermath of the 2015 Nepal earthquake has been incorrectly linked to the recent earthquake on the Tibet-Nepal border, recorded on January 7, 2025.
(This story was originally published by Logical factsand reissued by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective)