Fact Check: Viral image claiming to showing workers rescued from Silkyara tunnel is AI-generated
The 4.5-km long Silkyara tunnel is a part of the Chardham project in Uttarakhand. The project aims to provide all-weather connectivity between four Hindu shrines. On November 12, 2023, a landslide caused a portion of the tunnel to collapse and 41 workers were trapped inside.
The 4.5-km long Silkyara tunnel is a part of the Chardham project in Uttarakhand. The project aims to provide all-weather connectivity between four Hindu shrines. On November 12, 2023, a landslide caused a portion of the tunnel to collapse and 41 workers were trapped inside. They survived on the food and oxygen supplied through narrow steel pipes.
After incessant effort, rescuers were able to free the workers after 17 days. The news of the rescue was received by all sections of the people in the country with great joy.
An image is in wide circulation in relation to this tunnel rescue, claiming that it shows the rescued workers with the Indian flag. This image has been shared by several main news publications.
On social media also, the image is in wide circulation with a caption: “Pic of the Day..!!! Uttarakhand tunnel rescue Mission finally successful Om Namah Shivaya “.
Fact Check:
The claim is False. The image does not show rescued workers, the image is an AI-generated one.
When observed carefully, we can see discrepancies in the image. The hand holding the Indian flag seems to have 5 fingers along with a thumb. The fingers on the other hand also are not consistent. There are also several inconsistencies in the eyes of the persons standing behind.
Using Hive moderation , when we verified the image, we found that the results showed that the image is 99% AI.
Hence, the viral image does not show the rescued workers from the tunnel which collapsed in Uttarakhand. The claim is False.