Fake Stories from Bushfires Tragedy in Australia


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Finally Raining in Australia, Video

A short video doing rounds on social media alleges to show it’s finally raining in Australia after heavy bushfires. It in fact shows a group of firefighters dancing in joy, perhaps thinking the disaster shall subside down.

Leongatha Fire Brigade shared the video on Facebook on 25th November 2019. Likewise, they said their crew in Rollands Plains in New South Wales, Australia were happy for the rain after working on edge for over a month in the bushfire zone. However, the welcome rain on the fireground did not last long.

Koala Mom and Son Rescue

Another photograph appeared online suggesting to show a Koala Mom and her Son after being rescued from the Bushfires in Australia. The popular story in fact showed a mother Koala sitting on a tree and hugging close the little one. In other words, accompanying messages signified Australia is burning.

In this case also, the photograph is not related to the Bushfires in Australia. Like HoaxEye pointed, Dan Rumsey clicked the picture of Koalas at Australian Reptile Park back in July 2019.

All these fake stories related to Bushfires of Australia do not undermine the damage in anyway. The extent of animal loss and damage to nature is in fact huge. The human suffering in the areas and the firefighting efforts for months is also high. As a result, many Australians and environmental organizations are asking for help and donations. On the other hand, we suggest people to donate only to the authentic sources.

Bushfires and Scams

On 6th January 2019, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ACCC warned people of ongoing Scams related to Bushfires. To clarify, they said scammers are cold-calling, direct messaging and creating fake websites and pages on social media for raising funds. They also suggested some safety guidelines during donation.


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Prashanth Damarla
Debunker

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