A merged video of lightning and thundering in Mecca, Saudi Arabia has gone viral on social media. Users are sharing this video and associating it with a communal angle.
While sharing this video, a user named Dilip Kumar Singh wrote “1400 years are being completed
their actions are not good Allah is angry with Muslims! Wrecked havoc in Mecca! The time of doomsday has come! The Muslim community is going to be wiped out from the earth! Not a single Muslim will survive on earth!”(English Translation)
Fact Check
On investigation, DFRAC found that different video clips showing lightning and thunderstorm have been merged into one single video. We found that the part that started at 14 seconds originally dated back to June 2022 and from Amritsar. We found this video on YouTube channel of ‘Patiala Politics’ uploaded on 22 June 2022 titled “Tents in Golden Temple Amritsar uprooted by strong winds”
Furthermore, another part that started from 22 Seconds was from August 2023. We found this video on YouTube channel of ‘Md Usama offical’ uploaded on 23 August 2023 titled “Makkah Me Barish Toofan #shorts #youtubeshorts #makkah”.
Moreover, the last part that started from 1 min dated back to Aug 2023 and was from Mallorca, Spain. We found a report by ‘Mirror.co.uk’ published on August 28, 2023, stating “Mallorca tourists run for their lives as terrifying storms send deckchairs flying”.
Conclusion
It is evident from the DFRAC’s fact check that multiple videos of lightning and thunderstorms have been merged into a single one and shared misleadingly on X. Therefore, the claim of social media users is misleading.
