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VERA FILES FACT CHECK: FB Reel of ‘tsunami in Indonesia’ NEEDS CONTEXT

Needs context

A Filipino netizen posted a Facebook (FB) Reel allegedly showing a tsunami in Indonesia. This needs context because the clip came from a movie. 

This FB Reel appeared on May 1, a week after a magnitude 7.3 earthquake rocked west of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island and triggered a tsunami warning. 

The clips show a tsunami tearing through a beach resort and a village. 

Reverse image search reveals that these came from the trailer of 2010 American drama film Hereafter. The movie depicted scenes from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that left hundreds of thousands dead across 12 countries.

The netizen who uploaded the FB Reel also cited incorrect figures about the tsunami’s death toll in Aceh province, Indonesia. They wrote: 

“Back in 2004 when tsunami as high as 4th floor of the building hits Aceh, Indonesia leaving 6000 people casualties [sic].”

According to a Dec. 8, 2005 report by the Office of the United Nations Recovery Coordinator for Aceh and Nias, an estimated total of 129,775 people died, 36,786 people went missing, and 504,518 were displaced in the Aceh province in Indonesia.

The FB Reel that needs context got a total of 13,700 reactions, 352 comments, and 1,200 shares. Some asked for Jesus Christ to save the people, while others incorrectly guessed where the tsunami hit. A few pointed out that the clip came from a movie.

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(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)