DigitEye India Fact Checkers
Soon after the Baltimore Bridge collapse, an image is being shared on social media claiming that several cars were plunging into the river. The caption read: “See A large container bridge collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore causing it to collapse.!; Looks like this collision was deliberate.?? Prayers for the victims.”
See A large container bridge collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore causing it to collapse.!;
Looks like this collision was deliberate.??Prayers for the victims 🙏🏻#Baltimore #BridgeCollapse pic.twitter.com/wPAKR5CXG9
— Komal (@kmlpaulkmlx) March 26, 2024
Another visual is posted on Twitter (X) with a caption that read: “A cargo ship collided with the #FrancisScottKeyBridge in Baltimore leads to its complete collapse, with multiple cars plunging into the water below and more than 20 people missing #Baltimore #BridgeCollapse #Bridge.”
#BREAKING
Very Shocking visuals
A cargo ship collided with the #FrancisScottKeyBridge in Baltimore leads to its complete collapse, with multiple cars plunging into the water below and more than 20 people missing.💔😢 #Baltimore #BridgeCollapse #Bridge pic.twitter.com/f5Mv3iQd1d— imran ali (@imu07280300033) March 26, 2024
A Singapore container ship named Dali had hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after it lost power and lost control before hitting the bridge that collapsed on March 27, 2024, with six crew members reported dead in the incident. The same image has been shared here and here.
FACT-CHECK
As the visual did not reflect the elements of other visuals, Digiteye India conducted a simple Google Reverse Image Search of it and found that it was from an unrelated event. The original image was from a river on the outskirts of Dungiven, Northern Ireland, on January 1, 2022. The report said a man was rescued from his vehicle after driving into the river on the outskirts of Dungiven.
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service had posted the picture on its Facebook here. “Fire crews from Dungiven & Limavady, supported by specialist crews from Crescent Link & Central Fire Stations responded to a vehicle in water incident this morning on the outskirts of Dungiven,” the agency wrote. “The vehicle driver was rescued by the first attending crews and a subsequent systemic river search was undertaken until the PSNI confirmed that all vehicle occupants had been accounted for.”
Hence, the claim is misleading.
Claim: Car seen plunging into the river after Baltimore bridge collapse.
Conclusion: False. An old, unrelated image from Dungiven, Northern ireland on January 1, 2022 was shared.
Rating: Misleading — 
