FACT CHECK: Video Claims To Show Tanker Hit By Houthis

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

A post shared on X claims to show a tanker hit by the Houthis.

Verdict: False

The video is from 2021 and shows a ship on fire off the coast of Sri Lanka. It is not related to the Houthi campaign in the Red Sea.

Fact Check:

The Houthis appeared to have a commercial vessel in the Red Sea with three projectiles -either missiles or drones- leaving the ship “not under command,” according to CBS News. No casualties were reported, the outlet noted.

Social media users are sharing a video of a burning cargo ship, claiming it took place in Yemen. One user wrote, “Thank you #Yemen…Yemen.” (RELATED: No, Video Of A Patriot Launcher Is Not From Ukraine)

This claim is false. Through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found that the video was likely taken off the coast of Sri Lanka. The original video was posted to X in May 2021 by the Daily Mirror, a British tabloid.

“The X-Press Pearl, a foreign vessel which caught fire off the Colombo Port on May 20 continues to be in flames as the navy continues operations to douse the fire. All 25 crew members onboard saved,” the tweet reads.

The ship was carrying chemicals and could be an environmental disaster that could affect Sri Lanka for decades, according to BBC News. The Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka noted in May 2023 that the “disaster has severely impacted Sri Lanka’s fishing industry, with over 20,000 fishing families and approximately 16,000 fishermen affected.”

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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