Old, Unrelated Video of Nurse Saving Children Peddled as Recent One From Japan
The video is from February 2023 and reportedly shows a nurse rescuing children in Turkey's Gaziantep province.
Fact-Check | The video is old and unrelated to the recent earthquake in Japan.
(Photo: Altered by The Quint)
A video of a nurse running inside the hospital to rescue children is being shared with users claiming that the visuals are from the recent earthquake that shook Japan.
What's the claim?: Those sharing the video have said, "Watch as a 7.6 magnitude earthquake on a Richter scale hits a hospital in Japan sending the nurses In a panic. Keep the people of Japan safe and in your prayers (sic)."
You can view an archive of the post here.
The video had more than three lakh views on the platform, when this report was being written.
(More archives of similar claims can be found here, here, and here.)
Are these claims true?: This video is neither recent nor related to Japan. The video could be traced back to February 2023 and reportedly shows a nurse named Seyma Alakus rescuing children in Turkey's Gaziantep province.
Hints in the viral video: We noticed that the video had a watermark of "TRT World" and the location was identified as Gaziantep, Turkey.
Additionally, Team WebQoof found that the video also carried a date stamp of 6 February 2023.
The video had several hints indicating that it was from Turkey.
Finding the original video: A keyword search led us to the same video uploaded on the official YouTube channel of TRT World.
It was shared on 13 February 2023 and was titled, "Nurse rushes to rescue children as massive earthquake hits."
The video's description mentioned that the nurse risked her life to rescue children from the hospital in Gaziantep as an earthquake rattled the place.
Other sources: The official YouTube channel of The Times and The Sunday Times, too, shared the same footage on 13 February 2023.
Its description identified the nurse as one Seyma Alakus, who worked at Inayet Topcuoglu Hospital in Gaziantep province.
It further mentioned that Gaziantep has been severely affected after two powerful earthquakes hit southern Turkey. The death toll had risen over 31,000.
What is happening in Japan?: According to the Associated Press (AP), a series of powerful earthquakes rattled western Japan and has caused the death of at least 62 people. The rescue operations are underway to save those who are feared to be trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Conclusion: It is clear that an old and unrelated video is being falsely shared as recent visuals from the earthquake that hit Japan.
(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9540511818 , or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)