As torrential monsoon rains in India’s northeast triggered landslides and lethal floods, a video was shared in social media posts falsely claiming it confirmed the destruction brought on by a deluge in Assam’s state capital Guwahati. The video actually exhibits flooding in a special state, Himachal Pradesh, in July 2023.
“Scary Scenes at Gauhati, Pray for Assam,” reads the caption of a Fb video shared on June 3, 2025, utilizing an alternate spelling for Assam’s state capital Guwahati.
“Guwahati” can be superimposed over the video, which exhibits a raging torrent ripping down street-side stalls.
It surfaced after flash floods and landslides triggered by annual monsoon rains in India’s northeast states killed not less than 30 folks, together with eight in Assam (archived hyperlink).
India’s annual monsoon season from June to September affords respite from the extraordinary summer season warmth and is essential for replenishing water provides, but additionally brings widespread demise and destruction.
Scores of individuals die annually in the course of the wet season resulting from flash floods and landslides throughout the nation of 1.4 billion folks.
Screenshot of the false Fb submit, captured on June 15, 2025
The identical video was additionally shared in related Instagram and X posts.
A number of low-lying areas of Guwahati had been not too long ago flooded, with a whole lot of households compelled to desert houses to hunt shelter elsewhere, however the video circulating on-line was filmed almost two years earlier (archived hyperlink).
A reverse picture search on Google utilizing keyframes from the falsely shared video led to the identical footage posted on Instagram on September 8, 2024 (archived hyperlink).
Its caption reads, “Sainj valley flood 09/07/2023”. The Sainj valley is in Himachal Pradesh state’s Kullu district (archived hyperlink).
AFP reported in July 2023 that torrential downpours washed away autos, demolished buildings and tore down bridges in Himachal Pradesh, the state worst affected by relentless monsoon rains on the time (archived hyperlink).
Screenshot comparability of the falsely shared clip (left) and the video posted in September 2024 (proper)
The identical Instagram account additionally posted a related video of the flooding in the identical space on July 9, 2023 (archived hyperlink).
The person informed AFP on June 15, 2025: “So far as I keep in mind, the video is roughly two years outdated, from across the time there was a large flood within the Sainj Valley.”
Furthermore, a photograph despatched from the valley by an AFP reporter consists of related parts to these seen within the circulating video.
Screenshot comparability of the falsely shared clip (left) and a photograph despatched by an AFP reporter (proper), with corresponding options highlighted
AFP has beforehand debunked different false claims associated to India’s monsoon season.
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