On 17 May, Bengaluru received widespread rains across the city. According to the IMD, rainfall was above 100 mm at a few places and above 50 mm at many places on the night of 17 May. Two labourers identified as Devbharath from Bihar and Ankit Kumar from Uttar Pradesh were found dead at a pipeline work site in Ullala Upanagara after heavy rains. Many passengers missed flights as the road to the airport was flooded.
Now an image showing partially submerged cars is in wide circulation on social media platforms with the claim to show the situation of Bengaluru after the city received heavy downpours.
However, we have verified that the image dates back to 2020 and is of Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand.
A Facebook user shared the image criticising the BJP’s centre and state government which reads: “BJP double engine government conducted car swimming competition in Bangalore…Remove Modi and save the country…Hail Telangana Hail KCR Hail KTR Hail Rega…”
(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)
Several other users have made the same claim. An archive of the same can be accessed here, here and here.
FactO Check:
On conducting the reverse image search of the viral image, we found it used in an article published in News18 on 20 October 2021. The image is described as: “Submerged cars are seen at a flooded hotel resort as extreme rainfall caused the Kosi River overflow at the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand”. The credit for the image is given to AP Photo/ Mustafa Quraishi.
In October 2021, Uttarakhand received record-breaking rainfall, leading to floods, landslides and destruction of property across the state. According to news reports, it had claimed over 52 lives and several went missing.
(Source: News18/Screenshot)
To further corroborate, we looked for the image in the AP archive. According to the news agency, the image was shot on 18 October 2o21 and is described as: “Submerged cars are seen at a flooded hotel resort as extreme rainfall caused the Kosi River to overflow at the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, India, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021. More than 20 people have died and many are missing in floods triggered by heavy rains in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, officials said Tuesday”.
(Source: AP/Screenshot)
Conclusion:
With the above findings, it is evident that the image is not of recent Bengaluru rainfall.
