FACT CHECK: Image on Facebook of 2020 Ukrainian plane crash inaccurately linked to Malawi
The article discusses a misleading Facebook post that claimed to show the crash site of a plane carrying Malawi Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima and nine others. The post falsely used an image of a 2020 Ukrainian military plane crash near Kharkiv, killing 27 during a flight training. This image was reported by a Chinese news agency, Xinhua, and was verified to be unrelated to any recent crashes involving Chilima. In fact, reputable news sources like USA Today and BBC reported on Chilima’s crash but provided no visuals resembling the shared Facebook image. Despite the false claim, the crash that purportedly killed Chilima did occur, with extensive coverage on his funeral attended by thousands. Check Your Fact debunked the image’s authenticity using reverse image searches and confirmed it to be of the Ukrainian incident from 2020. Furthermore, the image was not used by Malawi government in any of their official communications.
An image shared on Facebook purports to show a recent plane crash that killed Malawi Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima and nine other people.
Verdict: False
The image shows a 2020 crash involving a Ukrainian military plane, according to a news article from China.org.cn. The photo was taken by the Chinese news agency, Xinhua, according to the same article.
Fact Check:
The plane carrying Chilima and nine other people crashed with no survivors after the plane’s radar signal was lost, USA Today reported. Following the fatal crash, a funeral service was held for Chilima which “tens of thousands” attended and included a Catholic mass, according to BBC.
The Facebook post purports to show a recent plane crash that killed Chilima and nine other people. The photo shows plane wreckage near a forest with a green circle in the right corner.
“BREAKING NEWS: Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima and 9 others confirmed dead in a plane crash. The plane has been found and all 10 on board are dead!,” the post’s caption reads in part.
The claim is false, however. Check Your Fact performed a reverse image search and found the image referenced in a September 2020 news article from China.org.cn discussing a crash involving a Ukrainian military plane. The aircraft had 27 on board during flight training near Kharkiv, the report indicated.
The photo was taken by the Chinese news agency, Xinhua, according to the same article. The website can be accessed via the URL on the photo, news.cn.
Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the image included in any recent credible news reports about the crash that killed Chilima and nine other people. In fact, the opposite is true. On June 17, Reuters reported the image showed the Ukrainian military plane crash that occurred in 2020.
Additionally, the government of Malawi has not shared the image via its website or its associated social media accounts. (RELATED: Russian Military Testing Missiles Is From 2018 In The White Sea, Not 2024 Near Florida)
Check Your Fact has contacted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office and the United States Embassy in Malawi for comment regarding the image and will update this piece accordingly if one is received from either source.
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