Image of flooded car park in Lagos was not taken in July 2022
Image of flooded car park in Lagos was not taken in July 2022
(Reuters) - An image of a flooded car park, with cars submerged under water, was not taken in Lagos, Nigeria in July 2022, even though social media users are sharing the image online as though it was a recent photograph.
One user shared the image on Twitter on July 11, 2022, with a caption that reads: “Lagos Mechanics about to shut down clubs this weeks [sic]” (here).
Some users were aware that the image was taken a while ago, but others believed the photograph related to recent flooding in Lagos.
One user shared the tweet and said: “My heart goes out to Lagosians right now” (here).
Another said: “My goodness is this real??!!” (here)
Other examples shared online by users in the U.S. can be viewed (here), (here).
The image is not recent. Reuters could not find the source of the image, but the photograph dates to at least July 2021.
Reuters found the image featured on numerous Nigerian websites and blogs dating from July 2021 (here), (here), (here), (here).
Nigerian outlets, including TVC News Nigeria, reported on July 16, 2021, that communities on Lagos Island were flooded after a night of heavy rain (bit.ly/3c0fnHm).
Outlets have reported floods hitting areas of Lagos state, Nigeria in the past few days (here), (here).
VERDICT
Miscaptioned. An image of cars submerged in a car park was not captured during floods in Lagos, Nigeria in July 2022. The photograph dates to at least 2021.
