Verified images show people having fun with sparklers inside a Swiss nightclubPublished at 11:54 GMT
Richard Irving-Brown
BBC Verified Journalist
image source, ×BBC Verify examined two photos showing sparklers attached to bottles inside Le Constellation nightclub in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana.
The images have been shared online, claiming to have been taken before a fire broke out at the club on New Year's Eve, killing at least 40 people. One image shows people holding bottles with sparklers attached into the air and what appears to be flames on the ceiling.
I searched online for an earlier version of this image, but no copies existed until yesterday. The photo has some details that match old photos of the nightclub's interior, including the bar, wall decorations, and plumbing.
We ran the photo through four artificial intelligence detection tools, none of which reported any AI manipulation, but one which reported that the image had been edited.
The second image we saw shows a person wearing a sleeveless black dress and crash helmet holding a bottle with a sparkler attached. I searched online for an earlier version, but no copies existed until yesterday.
image source, ×Part of Le Constel's neon sign can be seen in the background, matching an old photo of the club.
An inspection using three AI detection tools found AI manipulation, one of which said the photo had been edited. When performed using digital manipulation tools, no evidence of manipulation was found.
