An earthquake that struck central Morocco on Friday night is thought to have killed almost 2,500 people, with rescuers continuing to search for survivors among the destruction left behind.
The country's Interior Ministry says the number of casualties has increased to 2,497 after a 6.8 magnitude quake struck southwest of Marrakesh around 11 p.m. local time on Friday.
As rescue and relief efforts carry on, footage said to be from the disaster was shared online showing what appeared to be a newborn baby being found beneath a mound of dirt.
Some readers may find the footage distressing. Newsweek is not including it within this article, but has provided a link for verification purposes.
The Claim
A post on X (formerly Twitter) by user @DFiosa, on September 9, 2023, viewed 261,100 times, shows what appears to be a video of a newborn baby being rescued from underneath a mound of dirt.
The accompanying tweet states "Here, a new born baby is dug out of the debris after a magnitude 6.8 earthquake devastates Morocco. Pray for this child 🙏🏽 #MoroccoEarthquake #Morocco #PrayForThisChild #BlackTwitter"
The Facts
Thousands have been injured in the earthquake which hit hard-to-reach mountainous areas as well as the old city of Marrakesh, whose historic heart is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Morocco's geophysical center said the quake struck in the Ighil area of the High Atlas (40 miles) southwest of Marrakesh, and the tremors could be felt as far away as Portugal and Algeria.
People in the Moroccan capital city, Rabat, 200 miles north of Marrakesh, and in the coastal town of Imsouane, 170 miles to its west, also fled their homes, fearing a stronger quake.
With rescue efforts far from over, the footage shared on Twitter of a newborn supposedly caught among the destruction made for a particularly harrowing sign of what else might lay in store.
However, the footage shared online is not from Morocco. It is thought to have been captured in a village near the city of Kanpur, India, on Friday evening.
The Times of India reported the child was found alive after being buried at Pulandar village in Kanpur Dehat district. A husband and wife named Rajesh and Neelam were said to have found the infant after hearing loud cries. The circumstances of the incident are unclear and police are said to have begun an investigation.
Hindi News service Navbharat Times stated the child was taken to a district hospital to be monitored—its article included what appeared to be a photo of the child with police officers.
The reports did not include the exact same footage that was shared on X. However, some reports included follow-up footage of the child being wrapped in a blanket, tying it to the clip incorrectly attributed to the Morocco earthquake.
The Ruling
False.
The video of the baby being rescued was not filmed in Morocco. The footage is thought to be of a child reportedly found alive after being buried in a village near Kanpur, India. Reports say the infant was taken to hospital and police have begun an investigation into the incident.
FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's Fact Check team
Uncommon Knowledge
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