What’s the claim?

A video showing a heavily flooded road at night has been shared online, with claims that it depicts scenes from Chennai, the capital of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, following heavy rainfall caused by Cyclone Fengal. One user on X shared the video with the caption, “Marina Beach Road, Chennai.” 

Similar posts have been widely circulated on X, Facebook, and YouTube, linking the footage to the recent rains in Chennai. Archived versions of such posts can be found here, here, here, here, and here.

However, our investigation reveals that the video is not from Chennai and predates Cyclone Fengal.

What we found

Using reverse image search, we found the same video on Newsflare (archived here), a global platform for viral videos. It was uploaded on September 3, 2024, with the title “Saudi Arabia: Heavy rain has flooded the streets of Jeddah.”

This lead was corroborated by a report from Cay Haber, a Turkish news channel, which featured a screenshot of the viral clip. The report confirmed the video was filmed in Jeddah during severe rainfall in early September 2024. Similarly, MSN published the video on September 3, 2024, further supporting this timeline.

Additional posts on X and YouTube from September 2024 also link the video to flooding in Jeddah. Archived versions of these posts are available here and here.

It’s important to note that Cyclone Fengal made landfall between Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on November 30, 2024, well after the video began circulating online.

While we could not pinpoint the exact location of the video, reports confirm that Jeddah experienced heavy rainfall on September 2, 2024. The Saudi Press Agency documented this event, and visuals of the flooding were widely shared by local media. For instance, Jeddah Now (archived here) posted a brief video of a flooded roadway on X, and Alaraby TV (archived here) uploaded similar footage, both confirming the flooding in Jeddah.

The verdict

The viral video claiming to show Marina Beach Road in Chennai after Cyclone Fengal is misrepresented. The footage is from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and dates back to early September 2024, months before the cyclone.

(This story was originally published by Logically Facts, and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective)

Chennai:

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi today said the deaths of five people due to suspected heat stroke after an Indian Air Force show in Chennai was “very painful” and that “unmanageable gatherings” should be avoided, tacitly taking on the IAF that aimed to set a world record by bringing together about 15 lakh spectators.

The air show was held to celebrate the Air Force’s 92nd anniversary and was organised at Marina Beach, which is among the world’s longest beaches.

The Air Force had planned to conduct the mega event to set a Limca Book of World Record by aiming to mobilise 15 lakh spectators. But closer to the air show — scheduled between 11 am to 1 pm — the crowd got so large that the elevated MRTS railway stations along the Marina Beach road had turned into a sea of people.

“It is very painful and sorrowful to know that five people have died due to soaring heat after attending the IAF Air Show at Marina Beach, Chennai. Unmanageable gatherings should be avoided,” Ms Kanimozhi posted on X.

As per reports, there was no adequate arrangement for drinking water in the spectators’ area of the event, which was held on a day when the maximum temperature touched 35 degrees Celsius.

People also had to reportedly walk three to four kilometres on the jam-packed roads to get public conveyance or pick up their vehicles.

The Chennai Police, which said it had deployed 6,500 police personnel and 1,500 home guards for security, is facing flak for poor crowd and traffic management.

AIADMK, BJP Slam DMK Over Chennai Airshow

Leader of Opposition and AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami attacked Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin-led DMK government for the incident and alleged it failed to properly make arrangements for such a significant event.

“On the occasion of the 92nd Inauguration Day of the Indian Air Force, which is one of the most important components of the Indian Defense Department, an air adventure program was staged in Chennai to celebrate the strength of the Air Force. As the notification for this was published in advance, knowing that lakhs of people would come to visit, the Tamil Nadu government informed that arrangements have been made for transportation and basic facilities.,” Mr Palaniswami posted on X.

“However, during the program, administrative arrangements and Crowds and traffic were not managed properly as the police force is also inadequate to regulate. The news is shocking that people were stuck in heavy traffic, even drinking water is not available, and many people have been admitted to hospital due to heatstroke and five people have died so far,” he added.

“This pains me. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. My strong condemnation of the DMK government for failing to properly coordinate even such an important event,” he said.

BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan also called out the “negligence and incompetence” of the DMK government.

“Is this the DMK government’s Dravida model of utter negligence and incompetence? Yesterday’s tragedy at Chennai Air Force show very clearly showed that the State Government, led by DMK, was clearly incapable and unprepared to deal with this event… The government arrangements were not up to the mark. They mishandled the situation very clearly,” Mr Kesavan said.

The Air Force is yet to issue a statement on the loss of lives and criticism over its bid to mobilise large crowds difficult to handle.