Skip to content
May 12, 2025
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
DFRAC_ORG

DFRAC_ORG

Digital Forensics, Research and Analytics Center

Primary Menu
  • Home
  • Generative AI
  • Fact Check
    • Election
    • Health
    • Conflict Zone
  • Hate Monitor
  • Opinion
  • Hashtag Scanner
  • News
  • Podcasts
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contact us
    • Our Team
    • Non-Partisanship Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Resources
    • Collaborations
  • हिन्दी
  • English
  • اردو
Donate us
  • Fact Check
  • Featured
  • Misleading-en

Fact-Check: 2021 Video of explosion falsely shared with recent news of US cargo ship. Truth Behind Viral Video

Megha Bajaj January 16, 2024
2021 Video of explosion falsely shared with recent news of US cargo ship.

2021 Video of explosion falsely shared with recent news of US cargo ship.

Amid the Red Sea Crisis, a video is going viral on social media platforms depicting a huge black smoke plume billowing from a container vessel in the waters of the sea. Users on social media platforms are fervently sharing this video and claiming that a US cargo ship has just been hit by a missile off the coast of Yemen.

Sharing this video on X(Twitter), a user named ‘Wajid Khan’ wrote: “Yemen’s Ansarullah Houthis fired 3 cruise missiles at an American ship for the first time today A missile fell on the ship and the ship caught fire Yemeni Houthis started attacking American and British ships after Israel” (Translated to English)

Source: X(Twitter)

The archive version can be seen here.

Followed by Wajid Khan, several users shared this video on X(Twitter) and made similar claims.

Source: X(Twitter)
Source: X(Twitter)

Fact-Check

To determine the reality of the above viral video, the DFRAC team converted the viral video into some keyframes and reverse-searched it on Google. Meanwhile, we found a similar one on YouTube.

Video found on YouTube

We found a similar video on the YouTube channel of a media outlet The Sun

mentioning: “An explosion was reported on a container ship off the port of Colombo, Srilanka,  days after a fire broke out on the vessel” in its description. Moreover, the video was uploaded three years back.

Source: YouTube

Media reports from Reuters and Independent.co.uk

According to a media report published by the Independent.co.uk on May 25, 2021,an explosion occurred Tuesday on a ship anchored near Sri Lanka’s capital on which a fire had been burning for several days, prompting the crew’s evacuation, officials said. The container vessel MV X-Press Pearl was anchored about 9.5 nautical miles (18 kilometers) northwest of Colombo and waiting to enter its port when the fire erupted four days ago, the Sri Lankan navy said.

Source: Reuters and Independent.co.uk

Another media report by Reuters from the year 2021 also reported similar facts regarding the above viral video.

Conclusion

It is clear from DFRAC’s fact-check that the viral video claiming a US cargo ship was hit by a missile off the coast of Yemen is misleading as the video  dates back to 2021 showing the incident of explosion occurred in a ship anchored near Sri Lanka’s capital on which a fire had been burning for several days.

Share this…
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Whatsapp

Continue Reading

Previous: Has Iran called out to limit Indian activity on Chabahar Port? Know the truth here
Next: Video of parking dispute in Bihar falsely shared as Muslim Mob lynching

Related Stories

Claims of Pakistan destroying an S-400 air defence system of India is Fake
  • Fact Check
  • Fake
  • Featured

Fact Check: Claims of Pakistan destroying an S-400 air defence system of India is Fake

Siddharth Urmil May 10, 2025
A video shows Indian Post destroyed at LoC is fake
  • Fact Check
  • Fake
  • Featured

Fact Check: A video shows Indian Post destroyed at LoC is fake

Siddharth Urmil May 9, 2025
Old video of Wildfire in Chile falsely shared as footage of Pakistan strike on Amritsar
  • Fact Check
  • Featured
  • Misleading-en

Fact Check: Old video of Wildfire in Chile falsely shared as footage of Pakistan strike on Amritsar

Siddharth Urmil May 8, 2025

fact check

Fact Check: Claims of Pakistan destroying an S-400 air defence system of India is Fake Claims of Pakistan destroying an S-400 air defence system of India is Fake

Fact Check: Claims of Pakistan destroying an S-400 air defence system of India is Fake

May 10, 2025
Fact Check: A video shows Indian Post destroyed at LoC is fake A video shows Indian Post destroyed at LoC is fake

Fact Check: A video shows Indian Post destroyed at LoC is fake

May 9, 2025
Fact Check: Old video of Wildfire in Chile falsely shared as footage of Pakistan strike on Amritsar Old video of Wildfire in Chile falsely shared as footage of Pakistan strike on Amritsar

Fact Check: Old video of Wildfire in Chile falsely shared as footage of Pakistan strike on Amritsar

May 8, 2025
Fact Check: Old video of Nasr missile test launch is shared as Pakistan missile strike against India Old video of Nasr missile test launch is shared as Pakistan missile strike against India

Fact Check: Old video of Nasr missile test launch is shared as Pakistan missile strike against India

May 7, 2025
Fact Check: No, Pakistan’s J-10C Did Not Shoot Down an Indian Rafale Over the LoC Dramatic silhouette of a Chinese-made J-10C fighter jet in mid-flight against a vivid sunset sky, with its afterburner trail illuminated in the twilight. The image was featured in a viral social media post by a Pakistani defense account, falsely claiming that the aircraft had successfully shot down an Indian Rafale jet during an aerial encounter over the Line of Control (LoC). The claim was later fact-checked and debunked by Indian authorities as misinformation.

Fact Check: No, Pakistan’s J-10C Did Not Shoot Down an Indian Rafale Over the LoC

May 7, 2025
Old 2020 JNU attack protest video falsely shared as PM Modi resignation protest amid India-Pakistan tension Old 2020 JNU attack protest video falsely shared as PM Modi resignation protest amid India-Pakistan tension

Old 2020 JNU attack protest video falsely shared as PM Modi resignation protest amid India-Pakistan tension

May 6, 2025

Connect with Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Youtube

IFCN certified

Newsletter

  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Non-Partisanship Policy
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
Copyright © 2025 | All Rights Reserved | Developed by OppsWeb Solutions | MoreNews by AF themes.