An unrelated photo showing dead bodies from a road accident in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, where a vehicle plunged into a canal killing 11 people is being falsely linked to the recent flash floods in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.
A sudden deluge reported to be likely caused by a cloudburst or glacial collapse, swept through Dharali village in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, on August 5, 2025, killing at least five people, leaving dozens missing, and triggering a massive rescue operation. Videos of the disaster show a powerful wave of water gushing through the area, crumpling buildings and sweeping away everything in its path.
The Claim: Photo Shows Dead Bodies Recovered After Flash Floods in Uttarkashi
The viral photo is being shared on Facebook with the caption when translated to English reads, "Painful death of many people due to cloud burst in Uttarakhand Uttarakashi Dharali. May God rest their soul in peace Om Shanti Shanti"
BOOM has not included the photo due to its graphic nature.
What We Found:
1. Photo From Gonda, Uttar Pradesh
We ran reverse image search using Google Lens and the results showed that image is from a road accident that occurred on August 3, 2025, in Gonda district, Uttar Pradesh. A Mahindra Bolero SUV carrying 15 people had veered off a road and plunged into the Saryu canal, resulting in the death of 11 people, including women and children. Many of the victims belonged to the same family and were reportedly en route to a temple for prayers. We found the same photo in several news reports on the incident. The visual in the photo can be seen at 1.37 minutes timestamp in the below news report.
2. Uttarakhand Police Issue Clarification
Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi Police official X handle issued a clarification on August 6, 2025, stating that the viral image has no connection to the flash floods in Dharali. The caption when translated from Hindi reads, "Some people on social media are linking the news of Gonda to the Uttarkashi, Dharali disaster. The aforementioned picture has no connection with the Dharali disaster."
