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AAP FACTCHECK – Footage of a man who survived a building fire by jumping from a window is being linked on social media to the death of pop star Liam Payne
The footage is unrelated. The video is from September 2023 and shows a man escaping a building fire in Mexico City.
The video re-appeared on social media after Argentine police confirmed 31-year-old Payne’s death following a fall from his third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on October 17, 2024.
Authorities are still investigating the incident.
In the video, a man is shown falling from a building window – not a balcony – to the street. Overlaid text reads “Liam payne Fall balcony Video”.
AAP FactCheck performed a reverse image search that confirmed the video pre-dates Payne’s death by more than a year.
The video is from September 2023 and is of a man in Mexico City escaping a fire in his home, according to Mexican news reports.
“Man falls from the 3rd floor while trying to escape from a fire in the Historic Center of CDMX [Ciudad de Mexico],” a translation of the headline reads.
The man sustained injuries but survived.
It is one of several clips being used by spreaders of disinformation to capitalise on the death of the former One Direction member.
Another such video shows a man minding a pushchair when someone appears to fall from a nearby window.
It is captioned: “Real footage of falling Celebrity…Liam Payne.”
A reverse image search reveals the video was posted to TikTok on October 12, days before Payne’s death.
Another post shows a still from a video that supposedly depicts the incident in Buenos Aires. The caption of the post invites viewers to watch the full video via a link in the comments.
But the still is from a video of residents dodging debris during an earthquake in Turkey.
Australian readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 or Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged 5 to 25).
The Verdict
False – The claim is inaccurate.
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