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| - Fact Check: These people sleeping out in open are not Morocco quake survivors
India Today found that the video is from Lisbon, Portugal, and predates the earthquake that struck Morocco on September 8.
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India Today Fact Check
This video is from a religious congregation that was held in Lisbon, Portugal, in August this year.
Morocco’s deadly September 8 earthquake has killed about 3,000 people and rendered many more homeless. Those without shelter, and those concerned about aftershocks in the North African country reportedly slept outdoors or under makeshift canopies.
Now, a video depicting thousands of people sleeping on an open ground is being shared on social media. While sharing the video on Twitter, one person wrote, "Subhanallah this is really touching. Ta Allah! Protect the people of Morocco and forgive the dead ones. Ameen."
India Today found that the video is from a 2023 global Catholic youth festival held in Lisbon, Portugal.
Our Probe
A reverse image search of the video's keyframes led us to the same clip, uploaded to a YouTube channel named “Solo Catecumenos” on August 6, 2023.
This confirms that the video predates the Morocco earthquake that occurred on September 8. According to this channel, the video was taken during the 2023 edition of World Youth Day (JMJ2023), an annual Catholic festival held in Lisbon, Portugal.
The same video was shared on Facebook by various people around the same time, who also claimed it was from the Lisbon festival.
According to media reports, more than 1.5 million people gathered at Tejo Park in Lisbon on August 5 to participate in World Youth Day, presided over by Pope Francis. The event spanned from August 1 to 6. Young Catholics from across the globe reportedly arrived on August 5, equipped with backpacks and sleeping bags, prepared to spend the night until the final mass the following day, a Sunday.
Other YouTube channels also shared similar videos of attendees sleeping at Tejo Park in August. Additionally, several attendees uploaded photos and videos on Google Maps that depict numerous people lying inside sleeping bags.
It is hence clear that the video in circulation does not depict the aftermath of the Morocco earthquake.
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