To cope with the flood situation, Pakistan blew up the embankment of the Qadirabad Barrage in its Punjab province through a controlled explosion on August 27. In this context, various domestic media outlets published news on the matter. A photo of the explosion was also attached to the news reports without any disclaimer. However, netizens became skeptical about whether the photo was a real picture of the explosion at the Qadirabad Barrage.
See news reports published by media outlets on this topic, including the photo in question: Jamuna TV, RTV, Kalbela (Facebook), Dainik Amader Shomoy, Inqilab, Janakantha, Dhaka Prokash, Bangladesh Times, BD Today, Probas Time, Thikana News, Alokito Bangladesh, Padma Sangbad, Amader Barta, Bangla Edition, US Bangla Barta, Notun Barta, Dainik Dhaka24, Channel Muskan, Provat Alo, Our Times News, Signal BD.
See video reports on the YouTube channels of media outlets using the photo in question as a thumbnail: Global TV News, Jugantor, Manabzamin, Rupali Bangladesh.
See video reports on the YouTube channels of media outlets that include the photo in question within the video: Ittefaq.
See posts circulated on the Facebook pages of media outlets on this topic here and here.
See posts circulated on the Instagram accounts of media outlets on this topic here.
See posts circulated on the X accounts of media outlets on this topic here.
Fact-check
An investigation by the Rumor Scanner team found that the circulated photo is not a real picture of the recent controlled explosion at Pakistan’s Qadirabad Barrage. In fact, the photo was generated using artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
Upon investigating the matter, an observation of the circulated photo reveals abnormalities in the depiction of people, the explosion, and the surrounding environment, which are common characteristics of AI-generated content.
A reverse image search of the circulated photo led to a post published on August 27 on the Facebook page of the Indian media outlet, ‘The Economic Times’. The caption of the post reads, “Pakistan takes drastic measures—blows up a dam embankment to manage massive floodwater inflow! As water levels surge, authorities gear up to protect lives and infrastructure. A desperate defense against nature’s fury—will this move avert disaster?”
An image attached to the post matches the one being circulated. However, the post explicitly states that the image was generated with AI. Additionally, a report was published on the same day on the media outlet’s website. This report also includes the image with a description confirming it was generated with AI.
Subsequently, a search for images of the Qadirabad Barrage’s design on multiple online platforms, including [suspicious link removed] and YouTube, yielded several pictures of the barrage. Notably, the Qadirabad Barrage is quite large and multi-purpose. Furthermore, a comparison reveals discrepancies between the design of the actual barrage and the one depicted in the circulated photo.
Additionally, the investigation found a video of the explosion at the Qadirabad Barrage, published on August 27 on the YouTube channel of the mainstream Pakistani media outlet ‘Dawn.’ The surroundings in this video are inconsistent with those depicted in the circulated photo.
This confirms that the circulated image was indeed generated using AI (artificial intelligence).
Therefore, a photo generated with AI technology has been circulated with the claim that it is a real picture of the recent controlled explosion at Pakistan’s Qadirabad Barrage; which is misleading.
Sources
- The Economic Times – Facebook Post
- Qadirabad Barrage – Here
- DawnNews English – Authorities Blow Up Embankment at Qadirabad Dam to Ease Flood Pressure
