False: Image of flooded dormitory room is old and digitally manipulated
By Stephanie Chan
An image showing a dormitory-looking room flooded with water has been circulating online (also here) with a claim that the photo shows the severity of the recent floods in central, south and eastern China.
The floods are considered to be the worst in 30 years with dozens of rivers and lakes overflowing in different cities.
The image also shows floating trash including condoms and sanitary napkins. However, this is an old image and the trash has been digitally added.
The same image without the trash was featured in a 2018 article by a Vietnamese website SOHA. The report says the picture was taken in Ho Chi Minh City after a heavy storm on Nov. 26, 2018.
Also on Nov. 26, 2018, well-known internet meme website 9gag shared a version of the image with lots of rubbish in the water. The objects appear to have been digitally added as many of them are identical duplicates as shown below.
Annie Lab could not confirm precisely when and where the original photo was taken, but it was certainly not taken this year in China.
Disclaimer: This is a student work. Although JMSC faculty members have done everything possible to verify its accuracy, we cannot guarantee there are no mistakes. If you notice an error or have any questions, please email us at contact@annieasia.org.
