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| - Fact Check: Video of exploding powerlines in America WRONGLY viral as advanced weaponry attack
The incident involved transformers exploding due to the damage inflicted on powerlines by heavy winds and rain in Louisiana, US.
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India Today Fact Check
The video actually depicts exploding transformers and power lines due to heavy winds and rain in Louisiana, US.
A video capturing a nighttime explosion near a gas station has sparked fervent speculation on social media about the potential use of advanced weaponry. One individual who shared the viral video, suggested this may have been the effect of “Directed Energy Weapons” being used.
“Look, I don’t know where this footage was taken. One thing I know for SURE is that THIS IS NOT NATURALLY OCCURRING. You can say whatever you want, but this is OVER A MINUTE of continuous strikes on a town from what looks to be a Directed Energy Weapon. You can even see what looks to be the beam of energy moving in real-time while striking different locations strategically. I’ve NEVER seen footage that is this long or this definitive,” read the tweet. The archived version of this tweet can be viewed here.
India Today found that the video actually shows a 2018 explosion involving transformers and power lines in Louisiana, US.
Our Probe
A reverse search of the keyframes from the viral video led us to numerous media reports from 2018. A video report by CBS News affiliate WWL-TV was shared on YouTube on December 28, 2018. It was titled "Kenner residents without power after transformer explosion caught on camera".
This report, from the Louisiana-based channel, showcased the viral video and featured Giovanni Bommarito, the individual who captured it on a cellphone. According to the report, the video showed high-voltage energy moving along power lines in Kenner, Louisiana.
The report highlighted that the power lines likely came into contact with each other and were torn due to heavy rain and storms. This led to power outages affecting over ten thousand people. The report also noted that electrical explosions were reported across areas including Williams Boulevard, West Esplanade Avenue, and 24th Street in the city.
At that time, a low-level disturbance passed through southeast Louisiana, causing sustained winds ranging from 40 to 65 Kmph.
The Associated Press also shared the video on YouTube on December 29, 2018. It similarly reported multiple electrical explosions in Kenner, Louisiana.
We also found the original upload of the viral video on Giovanni Bommarito's Facebook account. In that post, he referred to it as powerline explosions. Furthermore, we also found a video showing powerlines on fire at another location in Kenner.
Thus, it is evident that the video depicts transformers exploding due to the damage inflicted on powerlines by heavy winds and rain in Louisiana. Linking it to a "Directed energy weapon attack" is purely speculative and conspiratorial.
What are Directed energy weapons?
Directed energy weapons, according to the Office of Naval Research, are electromagnetic systems capable of converting chemical or electrical energy to radiated energy and focusing it on a target, resulting in physical damage that degrades, neutralises, defeats, or destroys an adversarial capability.
The Office of Naval Research is an organisation within the United States Department of the Navy. It is responsible for the science and technology programs of the US Navy and Marine Corps.
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