A video going viral on social media (here, here, and here) shows water spouting from cracks on a road as vehicles pass by. A user shared the video sarcastically, questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the technology involved, alleging it reflects the poor condition of Indian roads. Let’s verify the truth behind this video in this article.
Claim: Video of water spouting out of cracks on a road in India.
Fact: The video is from Guatemala, a country in Central America, not India. According to reports, heavy rains on 12 September 2024 caused drains to collapse, sinkholes to form, and landslides in various parts of the Guatemala. The water reportedly came from a damaged pipe crossing underneath National Route CA-9 at Kilometer 14 on the Pacific route. Villa Nueva’s mayor, Mynor Morales Zurita, has requested the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure, and Housing to take action. The video has no connection to India. Hence, the claim in the post is FALSE.
A reverse image search of keyframes from the viral video led us to a social media post on X by Clima Guatemala, shared on 13 September 2024. The post was captioned, “Take precautions at km 14 on the route to the Pacific. Asphalt is rising due to excess rainwater in drains and gutters.”
Taking a clue from the post description, a Google keyword search led us to several news reports (here, here, and here). According to these reports, heavy rains on 12 September 2024 caused drains to collapse, sinkholes to form, and landslides in various parts of Guatemala. The water reportedly came from a damaged pipe crossing underneath National Route CA-9 at Kilometer 14 on the Pacific route. Villa Nueva’s mayor, Mynor Morales Zurita, has requested the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure, and Housing to take action.
To sum up, a video from Guatemala is falsely shared as water spouting out of cracks on a road in India.
