A Facebook reel claims to show clips of a tsunami in Miyazaki Prefecture in Japan following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck on Aug. 8. This is false.
The clip was taken in 2011 and is not in Miyazaki but in Miyagi Prefecture. Only minor tsunami waves were reported after the earthquake in Japan earlier this month.
Uploaded on Aug. 11, the reel carried a superimposed text that read:
“JAPAN MAGNITUDE 7.1 AFTERMATH. PRAY FOR JAPAN KAWAWA NAMAN SILA (Poor them).”
It was also accompanied by the caption: “Isang 7.1 magnitude na lindol ang tumama sa timog ng Japan, na nagdulot ng tsunami na umabot na sa kanlurang bahagi ng Miyazaki prefecture. (A 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit southern Japan causing a tsunami that reached the western part of Miyazaki Prefecture).”
The clip does not feature the aftermath of the Aug. 8 earthquake. It shows a tsunami that devastated Miyagi Prefecture following a 9.1 tremor that hit the country in 2011.
While the Japan Meteorological Agency did issue a tsunami warning after the Aug. 8 quake, only minor tsunami waves of up to 50 centimeters were reported in some areas, including the port of Miyazaki.
Netizens were also duped into clicking a link to an e-commerce platform, with the post saying it would show the full footage of the incident.
Uploaded by Facebook pages The Cheap Ceo and Bungto San Allen Update, the reel collectively drew over 247,000 views, 3,800 reactions and 1,400 shares.
VERA Files Fact Check has previously debunked claims involving footage of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami being passed off as recent.
