#FactCheck: Viral Kyrgyzstan Video Misleadingly Shared as Nepal Flood Footage
Executive Summary
A video is being shared on social media with the claim that the Quran is being recited in Nepal to seek protection from floods. Research by the CyberPeace Research Wing found that the video is actually from Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asian country, and dates back to June. It shows people praying for the safety of a six-year-old boy who had been swept away by floodwaters.
Claim:
The video is being shared on X with a caption making the viral claim. It reads, “This is the power of faith. This video is from Nepal, where the Holy Quran is being recited and prayers are being offered. Mashallah.”
https://x.com/KarishmaAziz_/status/2095053199531286855
Fact Check
During our research into the viral video claiming that the Quran is being recited in Nepal to seek protection from floods, a reverse image search using keyframes led us to the same video uploaded on an Instagram account on June 25.
https://www.instagram.com/reels/DaAtnyUN4WP/
We translated the bio of the said Instagram account and found that it is associated with the Press Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations in Kyrgyzstan’s Chuy Region. We also found several videos uploaded on the account featuring uniformed personnel wearing the same attire as those seen in the viral video.
The life jackets worn by the uniformed personnel in these videos also clearly bear the words “Kyrgyzstan Rescue.”
During our research, we also found several Instagram posts published on June 25 featuring visuals similar to those in the viral video. The captions stated that Hafizs were reciting the Quran and offering prayers for the safety of a six-year-old boy during his rescue operation.
https://www.instagram.com/reels/DaBK3nYtfDf/https://www.instagram.com/reels/DaBK3nYtfDf/
In this regard, we also found a report published on June 26 by a Kyrgyz news website. The report stated that on June 23, a car carrying two women and five children fell into the Kegety River. The two women and three children managed to get out of the vehicle, but two children remained trapped inside. The body of a 12-year-old girl had already been recovered by the rescue team. Later, on June 26, the body of the other child was also recovered.
Conclusion
Our research found that the viral claim is false. The video being shared with the claim that the Quran was being recited in Nepal to seek protection from floods is actually from Kyrgyzstan and dates back to June. The evidence gathered during our research, including the original social media posts and reports from Kyrgyzstan, confirms that the footage is related to a rescue operation involving children after a car fell into the Kegety River. Therefore, the viral video has no connection with the recent floods in Nepal and is being shared with a false claim.
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Executive Summary
After reports identifying Cole Thomas Allen as the accused in the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner, several Pakistani propaganda-linked social media accounts began circulating a new claim alleging that the suspect’s wife is an Indian woman named Priyanka Rao. Users shared a photo purportedly showing Cole Thomas Allen with Priyanka Rao, along with an alleged Indian passport in her name. One user posted the image with the caption: “31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen with his Indian wife Priyanka Rao. Why do they always have three names?”
However, research by the CyberPeace Research Wing found the claim to be fake. The viral passport and accompanying image appear to be AI-generated.
Claim:
Social media users claimed that Cole Thomas Allen, accused in the WHCA dinner shooting, is married to an Indian woman named Priyanka Rao.
Fact Check:
During the research, multiple inconsistencies were found in the viral passport image, strongly indicating it is fabricated. A close review of the document revealed several obvious errors commonly seen in AI-generated content. For instance, in the “Nationality” field, the name “Cole Thomas Allen” was written instead of a country name. Such a basic mistake would not appear in any genuine government-issued passport.
The Hindi text on the document was also highly inaccurate and unnatural. Examples included:
- “राष्ट्रीयता” misspelled as “राष्ट्रीयाय”
- “जन्मतिथि” replaced with meaningless text
- “जन्म स्थान” incorrectly written
- “Issue” mistranslated as unrelated wording
- “Date of Expiry” left untranslated in Hindi format
Further analysis using an AI detection tool indicated that the viral passport image had a 69 percent probability of being AI-generated.
Conclusion:
The claim that WHCA dinner shooting accused Cole Thomas Allen has an Indian wife named Priyanka Rao is fake. The viral passport and image being shared online are likely AI-generated and part of a misinformation campaign.
Executive Summary
A video circulating on social media allegedly shows an Indian Army Air Defence JCO, identified as “Anurag Thakur,” criticising the Central government and announcing his resignation. In the clip, the individual is purportedly heard expressing disappointment with the government’s support for soldiers and claiming heavy casualties within his unit. However, an investigation by the CyberPeace Research Wing has found the claim to be false and the video manipulated.
Claim:
The viral post alleges that an Indian Army Air Defence JCO criticised the Centre and resigned, citing lack of support for soldiers and unacknowledged casualties.
Fact Check:
A keyword search using terms such as “Indian Army Air Defence JCO,” “Anurag Thakur,” and “resignation” did not yield any credible news reports supporting the claim. A reverse image search of the viral clip led to an original video posted by ANI on April 22, 2026. The ANI watermark is also visible in the viral footage, confirming that the clip has been sourced from this original video.
In the authentic version, the same personnel appears in the same setting, but he is speaking in Hindi about operations against adversary drones during “Operation Sindoor” in May 2025. He explains how his unit detected and neutralised multiple drones, successfully safeguarding a critical installation. Importantly, the original video does not identify the individual as Anurag Thakur, nor does it contain any reference to resignation, casualties, or criticism of the government.
Further technical analysis using the AI detection tool Hive Moderation indicated that the audio in the viral clip has an 86 percent likelihood of being artificially generated.
Conclusion:
The viral video has been altered with fabricated audio to falsely claim that an Indian Army officer criticised the government and resigned. The claim is baseless and the clip is a clear case of a deepfake created to mislead viewers.
Executive Summary
A video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being widely shared on social media, in which he appears to say that every woman would receive 1 gram of gold free against one Aadhaar card. The clip is being circulated with misleading claims suggesting a government scheme. Research by CyberPeace Research Wing found that the audio of Prime Minister Modi’s 2019 video was manipulated using AI technology and shared with a misleading claim.
Claim
An Instagram user shared the viral video claiming that PM Modi announced free gold for women.
Fact Check
To verify the claim, we conducted a keyword search on Google but found no credible media reports or official announcements supporting such a scheme. We then extracted keyframes from the viral clip and performed a reverse image search. This led us to the original video uploaded by DD News on February 24, 2019. In the authentic footage, PM Modi was addressing a public rally in Gorakhpur. At no point did he mention distributing gold to women.
Further examination of the viral clip raised suspicions of audio manipulation. We analyzed the speech using AI detection tool Hive Moderation, which indicated a 99% probability that the speech was AI-generated.
Conclusion
Our research found that the viral claim is false. The video uses footage from PM Modi’s 2019 speech, while the original audio appears to have been replaced using AI-generated voice technology to spread a misleading claim about free gold distribution.
