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Fact Check: Social Distancing Goes For A Toss In A Mumbai Bus?
Writer: Aditi Chattopadhyay
Aditi, part of the fact checking team of The Logical Indian likes to read, write, cook and laugh, in short live life as it is supposed to be. What makes her fascinated is to discover the truth behind a story and more often than not, it is either fact or myth at the end.
Maharashtra, 11 Jun 2020 2:58 AM GMT | Updated 11 Jun 2020 3:04 AM GMT
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The Logical Indian Fact check team investigates the claim that People disregard social distancing norms as they board a public bus in Mumbai.
A video of passengers rushing into a bus completely disregarding social distancing norms is being circulated on social media platforms with the claim that the video is from a bus in Mumbai.
The Logical Indian received a request on its WhatsApp Fact Check number(6364000343) to verify the claim.
Congress leader Milind Deora had also shared the video with similar claims. He later deleted his tweet.
Life really is a struggle during #MissionBeginAgain
— मुंबई Matters™✳️ (@mumbaimatterz) June 8, 2020
Don't know whether this is Mumbai, but it's India.... Really saddens how people struggle & risk life to get into a bus to earn livelihood...Literally falling on each other. How can we have #SocialDistancing ?@RoadsOfMumbai pic.twitter.com/iygC0G0IWR
Go Corona Go🤔
— Nadeem Faisal ندیم فیصل (@nadeemfaisal117) June 9, 2020
Riding at BEST Bus in Mumbai👿😥
کورونا بھگانے کا نرالا انداز!
ممبئی شہر میں مسافرین سرکاری BEST بس میں سواری کرتے ہوئے!#Covid_19#MumbaiBEST pic.twitter.com/h8M7qoVOR1
According to a New Indian Express report, restrictions on movement in Mumbai were eased from June 8. Several buses of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) were seen running.
Since the lockdown started from March 25, regular operations of BEST buses were suspended. The buses were operational only for the essential services staff and health workers.
According to a statement by BEST, around 2,100 buses hit the city roads till noon on June 8, after restrictions were lifted.
Claim:
People disregard social distancing norms as they board a public bus in Mumbai.
Fact Check:
The claim is misleading.
In the video, people can be heard talking in Bengali. If the video was indeed from Mumbai, it is expected only Marathi would be spoken in a local bus.
Further, a keyword search based on the above information led to several tweets which had the same video. The captions mentioned that the video depicts the situation inside a bus in Kolkata.
One such tweet was posted by the Twitter account @nv3sh.
See the situation of Kolkata's bus on 8th June 2020 for yourself.
— anv# (@nv3sh) June 8, 2020
Video by a friend. 1/2#COVIDー19 #COVID19India #Covid_19 pic.twitter.com/hj2zCsU5VD
AltNews found another video clip of the same bus moments before people poured in, as in the viral clip in the same Twitter account, @nv3sh.
See the situation of Kolkata's bus on 8th June 2020 for yourself.
— anv# (@nv3sh) June 8, 2020
Video by a friend. 1/2#COVIDー19 #COVID19India #Covid_19 pic.twitter.com/hj2zCsU5VD
At the 17th second of this clip, a person is heard saying, "The bus will go till Titagarh, will take it to the police station (Translated from Bengali)"
Titagarh is a city and a municipality of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is close to Kolkata.
Milind Deora issued a clarification later on Twitter regarding his earlier tweet which featured the viral video.
I have been told that the video is from Kolkata, not Mumbai. Pending verification, I am deleting the tweet.
— Milind Deora मिलिंद देवरा (@milinddeora) June 9, 2020
Until local train services resume, @myBESTBus is unable to ensure adequate physical distancing norms for all Mumbai's commuters.
Perhaps @Olacabs & @Uber can pitch in? https://t.co/uX41bJ5dLt
Therefore the scene from the video is actually from Kolkata and not Mumbai. As of now, there are 8,985 Coronavirus cases in West Bengal.
If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343
Also Read: Fact Check: Old Unrelated Picture Shared As Injured Pregnant Cow From Himachal Pradesh
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