Viral videos do not show recent floods in Pakistan

none@none.com () — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 19:27:31 +0500

CLAIM

Video shows severe flooding across Pakistan

WHAT HAPPENED

On June 22, 2026, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued a nationwide weather alert across several parts of Pakistan over the next 12 to 24 hours.

It said parts of Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Balochistan, and Sindh may experience rain, thunderstorms, dust storms and strong winds. The authority also warned of a heightened risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in northern mountainous regions, which could trigger flash floods, landslides and debris flows.

Provincial and district authorities have been directed to remain on high alert, while citizens and tourists have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel during periods of intense rainfall and stay updated through official weather advisories.

For the past few days, a compilation of videos showing massive floods has been doing the rounds on X, with users claiming the scenes were from various parts of the country, particularly the northern areas. Fast-flowing and muddy rivers carrying large volumes of debris and collapsing buildings can be seen in the footage.

The video, however, does not specify where or when it was recorded.

WHAT WE FOUND

The viral video circulating online is a compilation of multiple flooding visuals from different locations. To confirm the authenticity, the iVerify Pakistan team conducted reverse image searches on key frames from the clip circulating online.

A reverse image search on the first visual yielded a TikTok post dated August 13, 2023. The video matches the viral footage and was shared by a user who, according to his bio, is based in Swat. The post includes hashtags such as #floods and #flooding, indicating it was originally shared in the context of the 2023 heavy flooding in Swat.

The same visual has been used repeatedly since then, including in 2024, when it was circulated in relation to floods in Naran.

A reverse image search on the second clip traced it to a Facebook post dated July 3, 2021, titled: “Landslide in Japan this morning.”

Subsequently, a keyword search yielded a BBC report published on July 3, 2021. “Japan landslide: 20 people missing in Atami city,” the title reads.

According to the report, a major landslide struck the resort town of Atami in central Japan, leaving two people dead and affecting up to 300 homes, prompting large-scale rescue operations.

The same visual was also fact-checked by iVerify Pakistan in August 2025, when it was shared in the context of flood destruction in KP and GB.

Further reverse image analysis of another segment of the video yielded a Facebook post dated August 15, 2025. The post was shared in the context of floods in Swat and featured a compilation of multiple visuals, including the same clip from the viral video.

The footage was also shared by other users around the same time in August 2025, again linking it to flooding in Swat.

Additional search on another visual identified a TikTok post dated August 28, 2022, with the caption: “Bahrain swat pakistan bazar destroyed by floods. Need your prayers.”

@khan.swt
Bahrain swat pakistan bazar completely destroyed by floods.need ur prayers #foryou #standwithkashmir #burhan_tv #pakistan #swatvalley @🦋Umme Amara🦋
♬ original sound - Mr_fizzo137

The same video was also shared by another TikTok user on August 27, 2022, in the context of floods in Swat.

Another instance of the clip was found on TikTok, dated April 2024, where it was circulated in relation to flooding in Swat.

@asadalikhan686
flood in kpk swat#virl #viralvideo #flood
♬ original sound - Asad Ali Khan

Finally, a reverse image search on the last visual in the sequence yielded a TikTok post dated August 16, 2025. This version of the video was also shared in the context of floods in Swat, further confirming that the footage has been repeatedly reused across different years and events.