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Fact Check: Post About Varanasi Bridge Collapse Viral With Misleading Claim

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Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, a disturbing image has surfaced on social media platforms showing several cars crushed under a collapsed bridge. The image is viral with a claim that the visuals are of 2018 Varanasi flyover collapse incident and that the state government is yet to find the person responsible for the tragedy.

A Facebook user shared the image with a caption in Hindi that roughly translates to, “Remember the 15 May 2018 Varanasi bridge collapse? Yogi has still not been able to find the contractor for it.”

(Original:15 मई 2018 वाराणसी पुल हादसा याद है वो ठेकेदार योगी को आज तक नही मिल पाया)

The same image is also doing rounds on Twitter with the same claim.

FACT CHECK

NewsMobile fact-checked the viral image and found it to be shared with a misleading claim.

On performing Reverse Image Search, we found the viral image uploaded on stock image website “Alamy” on May 15, 2018. “Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. 15th May, 2018. Varanasi: People gather near collasped under construction over bridge Near Cant railway station in varanasi on 15-05-2018. Photo by prabhat kumar verma Credit: Prabhat Kumar Verma/ZUMA Wire/Alamy Live News,” reads the caption with the image.

Hence, the image is indeed from the mishap when a pillar of an under-construction bridge collapsed in Varanasi in May 2018.

However, on July 18, 2018, Police Commissionerate Varanasi took to Twitter to share  details of the ongoing probe, according to which, police arrested eight persons including seven engineers of the UP State Bridge Corporation and a contractor in relation to the case.

According to an Indian Express and Aaj Tak article, Chief Project Manager SC Tiwari, former Chief Project Manager Gendalal, Project Manager KR Sudan, AE Rajendra Singh, AE Ram Tapasya Yadav, JE Lalchand Singh, JE Rajesh Pal, and contractor Saheb Hussain were among those who were arrested.

“All eight accused were produced before a local court of Varanasi which sent them to jail,” the report quoted Additional Superintendent of Police, Crime, Gyanendra Nath Prasad as saying.

We also found a report by The Wire Hindi where it was mentioned that just a day after the incident, a complaint was registered against UPCB officials. The report also days that investigation into the matter revealed that engineering and safety standards had not been met during construction and that bridge had also not undergone regular inspections as required.

Therefore, it can be concluded that the claims made with the viral image are false.

If you want to fact-check any story, WhatsApp it now on +91 11 7127 9799

 

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