Netizens are circulating an old clip of a capsized ferry in the Bahamas falsely claiming that it is the vessel that sank in Rizal, Occidental Mindoro on April 15.
Four days later, at least six Facebook (FB) users posted copies of the video showing passengers jumping off a sinking boat. One of the posts carried the text:
“Lumubog na barko sa mindoro. Kawawa pasahero (A ship that sank in Mindoro. The passengers are pitiful).”
These posts are false. The video actually shows the two-deck ferry that capsized while traveling from Paradise Island to the Blue Lagoon Island in the Bahamas in November 2023.
Copies of the video have been going around online since 2023. On Nov. 23, the British media outlet The Daily Mail also uploaded an explainer of the incident featuring the same clip.
Other passengers shared their traumatic experiences and posted videos of the sinking from different angles.
According to news reports, the boat carrying more than 100 passengers sank after encountering rough waters, claiming a 75-year-old woman’s life.
Filipino netizens circulated the video four days after the Motor Vessel Hong Hai 16 capsized in Brgy. Malawaan, Rizal. The Philippine Coast Guard reported on April 16 that 14 of its 25 crew members – 13 Filipinos and 12 Chinese nationals – survived the tragedy. Of the 11 others, nine died and search operations for the remaining two were still ongoing as of April 22.
The video uploaded by the FB page PRINT x PRINT (created on July 10, 2023 as KAHIT NA ANO) and five other users collectively garnered 901 reactions, 293 comments, 1,134 shares and 228,000 views.