This Video Was Not Filmed During the Recent Earthquake in Tajikistan
The Claim
A video filmed in Tajikistan shows the last earthquake hitting the region.
News posted on
Emerging story
Social media users have circulated a video and claimed that it was shot during the last earthquake hitting Tajikistan this month.
“An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 hit #Tajikistan near the border with #China,” users wrote.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the claim and found it to be misleading. The video is older than claimed.
The Video Was Taken During an Earthquake in Japan
Misbar’s team found that the video dates back to at least February 2021. It was shared following an earthquake that struck areas in Japan.
According to news reports, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s east coast on February 13, 2021. The quake produced powerful shaking along the coast and was felt strongly in the capital, Tokyo.
A Strong Earthquake Struck Tajikistan
On February 23, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit a remote region of Tajikistan bordering China. The quake that struck at about 5:37 am (00:37 GMT) about 65km (40 miles) west of Murghob near the border with China’s Xinjiang province was also felt in China and other neighboring countries.
The earthquake struck the Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous region where the large lake of Sarez is located. According to Reuters, if the Sarez lake were disturbed, it could flood a vast area spanning several countries. However, according to Reuters’, there was no sign of the lake being disturbed by the quake.
Read More
Video of Passengers Surprised by an Earthquake Is Outdated
This Video Was Not Taken After the Recent Earthquake in Tajikistan