ISLAMABAD - Footage of a fighter plane crashing in the ocean has been viewed tens of thousands of times on Facebook alongside claims that the video shows an Indian fighter plane crashing off the coast of Karachi, a major coastal city in Pakistan, in June 2020. The claim is false; the video in fact shows an Italian military Eurofighter plane crashing off the coast of Italy during an airshow in September 2017.
The video has been viewed over 31,000 times since it was published on Facebook here link on June 10, 2020. Screenshot of misleading Facebook post
The post’s caption reads: “#Flash: Indian Air Force Plane Crashed Near Karachi Inside Indian Territory. Confirmation Awaited!”
The video was published as reports of Indian fighter jets flying over Karachi link spread widely online, as reported by Pakistani media here link and here link. Asia News International, a leading Indian news agency, reported on the speculation here link and cited anonymous Indian Air Force link sources who denied involvement.
The footage of the crashing fighter plane was also shared alongside similar claims on Facebook here link, here link and here link.
However, the claim is false.
In the last three seconds of the video, onlookers using Italian expletives can be heard.
Subsequent keyword Google searches found that the footage in fact shows a Italian Air Force Eurofighter plane crashing off the Italian coast in 2017.
The same footage was published on YouTube here link on April 28, 2020. The video’s caption reads: “EuroFighter Crashes Into Sea 2017 Italy”.
The clip shared in the misleading Facebook post can be seen from 4:57 to 5:19 in the YouTube video. -APP/AFP
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