The aftermath of the Air India flight AI-171 crash near Ahmedabad has been heavily impacted by a surge of misinformation spreading across social media platforms. The crash, which involved a London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner carrying 242 people, occurred shortly after takeoff on Thursday, June 12, 2025. The rapid dissemination of false and misleading videos has prompted government intervention and widespread condemnation.
Several videos falsely linked to the Air India crash have gone viral, causing confusion and distress. One particularly egregious example involved a clip purportedly showing a passenger's final moments before the crash. This video, shared widely on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, quickly garnered hundreds of thousands of views. However, investigations revealed that the footage was actually from the Yeti Airlines Flight 691 crash in Pokhara, Nepal, in January 2023, which resulted in 66 fatalities. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) stepped in to issue a clarification, confirming that the video was old and being shared with a false narrative.
Another viral video falsely connected to the Air India tragedy depicted people jumping from a burning building. This clip, which circulated with Hindi captions suggesting it showed scenes from the Ahmedabad plane crash, was found to be from Dwarka, Delhi, where a fire had broken out in an apartment building on June 10, 2025. BOOM Live, a fact-checking organization, debunked the claim, providing evidence from news reports and social media posts confirming the video's true origin.
The spread of misinformation has drawn strong reactions from social media users, with many condemning the sharing of false content during a sensitive time. Comments such as "This is not of the Ahmedabad flight crash," "Sad that you guys are spreading misinformation at this hour. Horrible behavior," and "Stop posting videos. This is an old video. Shame on you," reflect the public's frustration and anger.
The government has taken note of the widespread misinformation and is actively working to combat it. While specific details of the government's actions were not available in the search results, the PIB's clarification regarding the false video indicates an effort to address the issue.
The incident underscores the challenges of controlling the spread of fake news in the digital age, particularly in the wake of tragedies. It also highlights the importance of critical thinking and media literacy, urging individuals to verify information before sharing it on social media. Fact-checking organizations like BOOM Live and the Taiwan FactCheck Center play a crucial role in debunking false claims and ensuring that accurate information prevails.
In the wake of the crash, Air India removed display pictures from its social media accounts. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is currently investigating the cause of the crash.
