Video from Myanmar falsely shared as thunderstorm in Assam's Tinsukia district

By: Chandan Borgohain
May 2 2023

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Context

On the night of April 22, 2023, the Tinsukia district in the northeastern state of Assam experienced severe thunderstorm and hailstorm, in whch two people died. The hailstorm caused extensive damage to several houses and uprooted trees and electrical poles in many parts of the district, according to an Eastmojo report. Following the devastation, the district administration ordered all schools and colleges to remain closed on April 24, news agency ANI reported. 

A video clip showing a powerful gust of wind creating havoc as it sweeps over houses and trees has made the rounds on social media. Those sharing the video claim that it shows the thunderstorm-hit Tinsukia district. Sharing the video on Facebook, one user wrote, "This is the first time Tinsukia is expressing with such weather stay safe everyone." The video can be seen shared in Indian regional languages such as Assamese. A local Assamese news channel used the clip in one of their video reports linking it to the recent thunderstorm in Tinsukia. 

However, this is not true; the video shows a deadly tornado that had recently hit central Myanmar.  

In Fact

We conducted a reverse image search on one of the screenshots, which led us to a YouTube video uploaded on April 22, 2023. According to the description, the video shows a tornado that struck two villages in central Myanmar near the capital city Naypyitaw. It also adds that the tornado had hit the southern outskirts of Naypyitaw on the evening of April 21.

We also found a report published on The Weather Channel. The viral clip can be seen in the report, which states that the deadly tornado claimed multiple lives and destroyed hundreds of homes in the capital region of Myanmar on April 21, 2023. AP News reported that eight people were killed, and the tornado destroyed more than 200 houses. "A tornado that tore through two villages in central Myanmar near the capital Naypyitaw killed eight people and destroyed more than 200 houses, a rescue worker said Saturday," it stated.

It also added that according to the state-run television channel MRTV, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the head of Myanmar's military-installed government, visited the disaster area on Saturday and provided aid to the residents. 

The Verdict

The video does not show the recent thunderstorm that struck Assam's Tinsukia district on April 22. Credible news reports confirmed that the video shows a deadly tornado in the southern outskirts of Myanmar's capital, Naypyitaw, on April 21. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.