Video of sea waves hitting a journalist does not capture impact of cyclone Biparjoy

By: Rahul Adhikari
June 19 2023

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Context

A video of a journalist being hit by strong sea waves while recording a byte for the camera has been shared on Twitter with the claim that the clip shows the impact of cyclone Biparjoy. The video is one of the many visuals shared in connection with Biparjoy on social media ever since the cyclone started traveling from the Arabian Sea toward Gujarat and Rajasthan. The cyclone had forced the evacuation of over one lakh people in Gujarat and caused waterlogging in many areas of Rajasthan. 

In Fact

The viral video dates back to 2017 and is not recent. Additionally, a Gujarati voiceover and the sound of someone laughing have been digitally added to the video to claim that it shows the impact of Biparjoy in Gujarat. However, the original video is in Malayalam.

According to a report published by The News Minute on June 15, 2017, the reporter in the video is Anish, a News18 Kerala journalist. The report shared the same video, and we can see the journalist, who has his back towards the sea, being hit by a massive wave. The wave is strong enough to forcefully close the umbrella the journalist was holding while reporting. 

The report said that Anish, who was identified by only his first name, was covering the turbulent Arabian Sea and the havoc it was causing in Alappuzha, Kerala. The report stated that Anish was saying (in Malayalam), "It's been many days since the sea destroyed the houses here. People have no place to sleep; they don't have any food," and as he was concluding his piece to the camera, a wave crashed onto him, causing him to stumble a bit. As the wave receded, he said, "Authorities have not paid attention to this matter."

The footage was also shared on News 18 Kerala's Facebook page on June 15, 2017. The caption in Malayalam read: “Anish, the correspondent from News 18 Alappuzha, who went to report on the sea attack and narrowly escaped, has now become a social media sensation. The video uploaded by Anish on Facebook has been widely shared by numerous people, including prominent individuals (translated).”

The video had gained viral attention after it was aired on News 18 Kerala. Actor Jayasurya had also shared the video with a playful caption, stating, "And the 'Sincerity of the Year' award goes to..."

The Indian Express also featured the video in a report dated June 15, 2017. The article also mentioned that the waves struck Anish while he was reporting on the monsoons. 

The Verdict

A video from 2017 showing waves crashing over a reporter has been falsely linked to cyclone Biparjoy. The video was captured six years ago when a journalist from News18 Kerala was reporting on the monsoon in Alappuzha. Therefore, we mark the claim as false.