Viral video shows Karachi’s Foods Inn restaurant on fire

Rating Justification

The iVerify Pakistan team has reviewed this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, the iVerify Pakistan team conducted a reverse image search to investigate the video.

A video that circulated on different social media platforms on October 11, 2024, was claimed by users to show the moments when a fire engulfed Karachi restaurant Foods Inn. However, the video is old and has been shared as far back as 2020.

A fire broke out at Foods Inn located in Karachi’s Sindhi Muslim Society on October 10. Despite the crucial efforts of five fire engines, the incident resulted in extensive damage to the property but no casualty was reported.

HOW IT STARTED

On October 11, the iVerify Pakistan team was alerted by the public about a video being forwarded on social messaging platform WhatsApp of a restaurant kitchen catching a fire being attributed to Foods Inn.

The video was accompanied by a message on fire safety in the kitchen.

Manager at K-Electric, Mian Sarmad Saeed Shah, posted the same video with a similar fire safety caption on his LinkedIn profile.

The video was also shared on other social media platforms such as Instagram and X.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and because of high public interest in the recent Karachi restaurant fire.

Conducting a reverse image search yielded multiple results dating back to October 2020.

Upon investigation, it was concluded the video had been periodically shared as a precaution against fire hazards and an example of what not to do while attempting to contain a kitchen fire by several platforms.

The video was posted on Facebook by Monsher, a fire safety supplier from India, on October 16, 2020, with the caption: “Do not use water — pouring water can cause the oil to splash and spread the fire. The vaporising water can also carry grease particles in it, also spreading the fire. Use extinguishers and fire safety equipment.”

The official Facebook account of the Dublin Fire Brigade posted the same video on November 10, 2020.

The caption of the post said: “We all hope to see commercial kitchens busy again soon. Is now the right time to inspect and service your active fire systems and refresh your team on fire safety? Are extract systems clean and free from grease? This fire could have been easily dealt with by turning off the heat and using a fire blanket. Instead, it closed the kitchen for a major cleanup and repair.”

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that a video showing a restaurant kitchen catching fire is of Karachi restaurant Foods Inn is false.

The clip is actually an old and unrelated video and has been periodically shared on the internet since as far back as October 2020.

Evidence and References

October 16, 2020 Monsher Facebook video:
https://archive.md/r5FMu

November 10, 2020, Dunlin Fire Brigade Facebook video:
https://archive.md/r5FMu