Fact-check: Outdated photos and video falsely linked to Punjab floods

As heavy rainfall and floods continue to devastate parts of Punjab province, several videos and images are circulating online claiming to show the situation on the ground.

Our verification shows these claims are false. The visuals are outdated and unrelated to the current floods in Punjab.

Claim: A social media user shared a photo allegedly showing an aerial view of a residential area in Punjab submerged in floodwater.

Fact: The image does not depict the current floods in Punjab. It has been online since 2022 and was featured in a news report that year which can be read here.

Claim: A viral video with over 100,000 views claims to show water from Lahore’s Canal Road overflowing onto nearby streets during the current floods.

Fact: The video is not from the current floods. It was first posted online in July 2023 and widely circulated at that time. The older posts can be seen here and here.

Claim: An image circulating on X (formerly Twitter) shows a woman in Punjab sitting with her children under the open sky, purportedly displaced by the ongoing floods.

Fact: The photo is old. A reverse image search traced it back to a Facebook post from September 19, 2022, long before the current floods.

Verdict: The viral photos and videos claiming to show the recent floods in Punjab are outdated and unrelated to the current situation.

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