Videos showing trains submerged in floods are circulating on social media. (pib fact check/x/screengrab)
On Tuesday, the government flagged a video of digital transformation circulating on social media showing trains sunk in floods. PIB Fact Check revealed that the video was generated by AI and did not portray the actual incident. It can encourage users not to share such content, causing unnecessary fear and confusion.
The government fact-checking force also advised the public to check information from official sources before posting or transferring content online.
The virus claims are against the backdrop of heavy rain that has hit North India, leading to landslides and flash floods, and widespread damage to infrastructure. At least 10 people have died in Jammu. This included six people in a landslide on the route to Matavaishnodevi Shrine above Triktahill, with four people dead in separate incidents in Doda district.
The number of rivers derived from the Himalayas has increased rapidly, forcing dams and barrages to release water, exacerbating flooding in the lower parts of Punjab. Schools in Punjab and Jammu regions have been closed and pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi has been suspended.
Himachal Pradesh reported 680 road closures, with Mandi and Kuru districts being hit hardest. Flash floods, landslides and cloudbursts over the past 24 hours have disrupted everyday life, washed away shops and damaged highways. Swelling of the Beads River after release from the Lalgi Dam sunk a 200-meter stretch on the Manalile highway.
In Jammu, over 20 homes and bridges were damaged, almost all of the waters exceeded the level of danger. Authorities have stopped traffic on major highways and cancelled 18 trains. Fiber optic damage caused mobile and internet outages throughout the region.
In Punjab, heavy rains have inflated the Satorej, Beads and Ravi rivers, forcing evacuation of Ferosepur and Kapurtara districts. Several city roads have been submerged and traffic has slowed.
In Odisha, over 170 villages remained flooded and trucks were cleaned in the Sandergarh district. The low pressure system over the Bay of Bengal is expected to cause heavy rains in West Bengal and parts of Andhra Pradesh, with red warnings being issued in several coastal districts.
