It is false that these photos are from an accident in which 34 people died: they are out of context.
The images are of two events that occurred in different locations and on different dates and reflect a pattern of misinformation and clickbait.
It isĀ Ā falseĀ Ā that two photos depicting what is supposedly the same accident are from the same incident and that this one ājust happenedā and left 34 dead, as stated in the text accompanyingĀ Ā a post shared on FacebookĀ . The images are from two different events, are not current, and are from different countries.
āNational mourning has just occurred, a massive accident [Ā Ā sicĀ ] has left 34 dead,ā is all that the text accompanying the photos says. In the top image, you can see what appears to be a yellow bus crushed by a truck, with firefighters working at the scene surrounded by people. In the photo below, several people watch a burning bus that is crossed in the middle of a multi-lane highway.
The first comment leaves a link that, in theory, leads to a video with more details about the accident. But in reality,Ā Ā it leads to a websiteĀ Ā that talks about a supposed weight-loss remedy.
Honduras and Venezuela
AĀ Ā reverse image search on YandexĀ Ā of the photo of the yellow bus reveals that the crash actually occurred in Honduras in February 2017, more than seven years ago.Ā Ā Fox NewsĀ Ā covered the incident, which left 15 deadĀ , and the caption of the photo illustrating the story, which is of the same incident but taken from a different angle, provides the name of the person who took it: Fernando Antonio, for the American news agencyĀ Ā APĀ .
A search of the photo section of that outletĀ Ā revealed the photograph used in the postĀ Ā circulating on social media to announce the alleged accident that ājust occurred.ā The description reads: āEmergency personnel responded to an accident involving a cargo truck and a bus on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on Sunday, February 5, 2017.ā
āThe cargo truck crashed into the bus on the highway outside the Honduran capital on Sunday, killing more than a dozen people, authorities said,ā it added.
As for the second image, which shows a burning bus, aĀ Ā reverse image search on Google LensĀ Ā returnsĀ Ā severalĀ Ā postsĀ Ā that place the photo on the outskirts of Caracas, Venezuelaās capital, in mid-December 2023. Thatās eight months ago. According to reports,Ā Ā at least 30 people diedĀ .
While the Facebook post doesnāt specify where the incident occurred, itās logical that the āmassive accident that left 34ā dead would be the same.
As for the link that supposedly leads to the video showing the accident,Ā Ā it opens a websiteĀ Ā that offers a supposed weight-loss remedy.
AtĀ Ā elDetector,Ā weĀ Ā āve verified posts thatĀ Ā falselyĀ Ā reportedĀ Ā accidentsĀ Ā Ā and directed readers to click on a link that would take them to the full information, but instead directed them to an unrelated website. This is whatās known asĀ Ā clickbaitĀ Ā , and its purpose is to attract visitors to a website through eye-catching text. These visits can be converted into revenue.
Conclusion
ItāsĀ Ā falseĀ Ā that the two photographs shared together, which show two traffic accidents, are from the same incident that ājust happenedā and left 34 dead, as one social media post claims. One of the images is from a crash in Honduras in 2017, and the other is from an accident in Venezuela in late 2023, so both areĀ Ā out of contextĀ .Ā Ā Read here how we choose and assign our labels in elDetector.