Sri Lanka Easter Bombing Clip Passed Off As Andhra Pradesh Church Attack
BOOM found that the viral clip is from a church in Colombo, Sri Lanka which was one of the many places bombed during series of suicide attacks in April 2019.
A clip showing aftermath of a bomb blast at a church in Sri Lanka after the 2019 Easter bombings is being shared with the false claim that it shows an attack at a church in Andhra Pradesh.
In the 1 minute 36 seconds clip, we can see injured people and the furniture of the church damaged with a voiceover falsely claiming that it shows a bomb blast at a church in Andhra Pradesh.
The clip is being shared on WhatsApp with the caption, "Bomb blast in Andhra Pradesh...... Catholic Church when the Holy Eucharist was going on. Many died, some seriously injured. Let's pray for the Souls of the dead that there Soul RIP. Pray also to the injured seriously and survivors"
(BOOM has decided not to include the clip due to its graphic nature)
BOOM received the viral clip on its WhatsApp helpline number (7700906111).
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FACT-CHECK
BOOM found that the viral clip is from April 21, 2019, at The Catholic Shrine of St. Anthony in Kotahena in Colombo, Sri Lanka, which was bombed during the Easter suicide attacks.
On April 21. 2019, on Easter Sunday, three churches in Sri Lanka and three luxury hotels in the capital city of Colombo, were targeted in a series of coordinated terrorist suicide bombings (Read here). More than 200 people were killed and at least 450 injured in bomb blasts that had ripped through churches and luxury hotels reported Reuters on April 21, 2019.
On comparing footage and video after the blast at The Catholic Shrine of St. Anthony, we found that the viral clip is from that place as the scenes matched and one can even spot the same impact caused by the blast.
Comparison
On comparing the viral clip with footage after the bomb blast, it can be made out that they are from the spot.
Additionally, on comparing shots from the viral clip with photos tweeted by journalists in the aftermath of the bast, we can see that they have been taken from the same spot.
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