Nepal Floods: Unrelated Old Vietnam Video and AI-Generated Rescue Visuals Go Viral

Old footage from Vietnam and an AI-generated rescue video are being shared as visuals from the recent Nepal floods. OBC traced the first video to 2023 and found that the second misrepresented a real rescue incident.

On August 26, devastating floods and mudslides struck northern Nepal following a glacier mass wasting. The disaster has claimed more than 1,000 lives, while thousands remain missing and several others have been rescued from affected areas. As rescue operations continue across the country, social media users have also begun sharing visuals purportedly showing the devastating floods in Nepal. Some of these visuals, however, are unrelated to the disaster.

 OBC  examined two such visuals and found that one visual was recorded before  the Nepal floods, while the other was AI-generated and based on a real rescue incident during the Nepal floods.

What is viral online?

A video showing a young girl carrying a child on her back has gone viral on social media, with claims that the footage is from Nepal. On August 1, an X user, Sushma (@DubeySushm49030), shared the video and claimed that it showed lost children in Nepal searching for their parents following the disaster.

As of September 3, the post had garnered more than  92,000 views, 8,600 likes and 2,300 reposts.

Believing the video to be from Nepal, a user commented, “My prayers are with you, dear children. I hope you find your parents soon. I pray that you don’t have to suffer any more pain.” Another user responded, “This is very painful to watch. I pray to god that their parents meet them soon”.

Social media users on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube have also shared the video, linking it to the recent floods in Nepal.

How did we verify?

We analysed the keyframes of the viral video and also performed a reverse image search. We found that the video was initially uploaded on February 22,2023,  by a TikTok account named ‘THẦY GIÁO VÙNG CAO’ (@thaygiaovungcao_hg23)

The Vietnamese caption of the video translates to: “These are the most beautiful years of childhood—a time when children ought to be nurtured and protected, enjoying the best of everything: good food, warm clothes, playtime, and education. Yet, due to family circumstances, geographical isolation, and the harsh climate, these things remain out of reach for them… It is bitterly cold and rainy today. Let’s all send some encouragement to help them get home safely and quickly! @Mây⊙﹏⊙ #HaGiang2023”.

The hashtag ‘#HaGiang2023’ indicates that the video is from Ha Giang, a mountainous province in northern Vietnam.

This confirms that a 2023 video was falsely linked to the recent floods in Nepal.

The AI rescue

On August 31, CSR Journal shared a video that purportedly showing the rescue of a six-year-old girl named Manisha, who had reportedly spent 60 hours under the debris..

Several users on X and Instagram also shared the video.

We analysed the visuals and found several discrepancies commonly associated with AI-generated or digitally manipulated content.

 The Telegraph also reported that the viral visual was likely AI-generated.

Furthermore, a close examination of the caption revealed that a six-year-old girl was indeed reported to have been rescued during the recent floods in Nepal. However, the original visuals were different from those shared by CSR Journal.

The official X account of The Rising Nepal, a government-owned English-language daily, shared the original video of the rescue on August 29.

The caption suggests that a six-year-old girl was ‘miraculously’ rescued alive by Nepal’s Armed Police Force from an area approximately 200 metres from the Border Out Post in Timure, Rasuwa, on the evening of August 29.

Our analysis found that both viral visuals were misleadingly presented as being connected to the recent floods in Nepal. The first video, showing a young girl carrying a younger child, was originally shared on TikTok in February 2023 and was associated  to Ha Giang in northern Vietnam. The second video, which was claimed to show the rescue of six-year-old Manisha after she reportedly spent 60 hours under debris, was found to be AI-generated. While a six-year-old girl was indeed rescued during the recent floods in Nepal, the original visuals of the rescue were different from those circulated online. Therefore, unrelated and AI-generated visuals were falsely shared in connection with the Nepal floods.