Footage of water rushing from broken pipe misrepresented as cloudburst in India

Published on October 2, 2025 at 10:15
Updated on October 2, 2025 at 10:19
2 min read
By Sachin BAGHEL, AFP India

At least seven people were killed as India's eastern city of Kolkata was hit by heavy rainfall in September 2025, but footage of a surge of water does not show a cloudburst in the area. The clip actually shows water rushing from a burst pipe in a neighbouring state days earlier.

"Today in Kolkata there was a cloudburst, and this is the first time it has happened," reads a Facebook post shared on September 23, 2025.

It includes a video that shows water gushing out like a massive fountain, with streams also pouring down from the side of a building.

Screenshot of the false Instagram post captured on September 25, 2025, with a red X added by AFP

The false claim surfaced as heavy rains lashed the capital of India's West Bengal state, Kolkata.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said at least seven people were killed by electrocution due to submerged power lines, The Times of India reported (archived link).

The video was shared with similar claims on Instagram and Facebook, but it was in fact filmed in the northeastern state of Assam -- over 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) from Kolkata.

Google reverse image search led to a similar video published on Facebook by media outlet India Today NE on September 20, 2025, with a caption saying it shows a major pipe burst in Guwahati's Chandmari area on the day (archived link).

"The cause of the leak and the extent of damage are yet to be confirmed by authorities," the post goes on to say.

Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared video (left) and the Instagram video

Local media published similar visuals in reports of the pipe burst in Guwahati, the capital city of Assam (archived here and here).

Google Street View imagery of Guwahati matched the area seen in the false post (archived link).

Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared video (left) and Google Street View imagery of Guwahati, with corresponding features highlighted by AFP

The India Meteorological Department also said while "extremely heavy rainfall" occurred over Kolkata on September 23, it "does not satisfy the cloudburst criteria" (archived link).

AFP debunked similar false claims of monsoon-related tragedies.

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