Mumbai, July 12: Recently, several images and videos of overcrowding at hill stations in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are going viral. In these images and videos, tourists could be seen flouting COVID-19 norms. One such image showing a large crowd at a marketplace in Manali is being circulated on various platforms of social media. The image is being shared with a claim that a large number of tourists recently thronged at Himachal Pradesh's Manali. However, the claim is false as the image is six months old.

According to the fact check website BOOM Live, the image was taken on December 31, 2020, on the eve of the new year, before the second wave of COVID-19 struck the country. The picture is being shared in the backdrop of recent reports of a large number of tourists flocking to hill stations amid fears of the third wave of coronavirus. Manali Flocked by Tourists; Netizens Share Images of Crowded Streets in The Himachal Town And Wonder If COVID-19 Third Wave is Coming.

Notably, the image was also shared by Amarpreet Singh, the Managing Director of United Kingdom-based nonprofit Khalsa Aid's Asia Pacific unit, on his official Twitter handle. He wrote, "Pictures speak- No room in hospital to no room in hotels at Manali in some days. Police officer Arun Bothra also shared the same image on July 5.

Here Are Tweets By Social Media Users Sharing The Image WIth false Claim:

The BOOM Live found a Facebook post from January 24, 2021, on the page "Himachali Boys & Girls", which carried the same image. As per the post, the image was taken by "AmigosBlink". The image was posted by "AmigosBlink" on January 23.

Facebook Post by "Himachali Boys & Girls": 

Facebook Post By AmigosBlink:

In the recent post, "AmigosBlink" clarified that the image was taken on December 31, 2020, months before the second wave wreaked havoc in India. The same page also had live-streamed on December 31, 2020, showing almost the same situation. Notably, the second wave of COVID-19 struck India in February this year.

Clarification By AmigosBlonk:

After images of tourists flouting COVID-19 guidelines at several tourist spots in Himachal Pradesh surfaced on social media platforms, the Manali administration took the matter seriously and decided to impose a fine of Rs 5,000 or 8 days in jail for tourists who were found without face masks. The viral images of the heavily crowded streets of Manali drew criticism.

Fact check

Fact Check: Old Image From Manali Shared As Recent Photo of Crowds; Here's The Truth Behind The Viral Photo
Claim :

An Image of overcrowiding street in Manali is going viral with a claim that a large number of tourists recently thronged the hill station amid fears of third wave of COVID-19.

Conclusion :

The image is old and was clocked on december 31, 2020.

Full of Trash
Clean

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 12, 2021 05:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).