Social media posts are circulating in Ethiopia purporting to point out current images of a bus crash in Saudi Arabia wherein 20 Ethiopians had been killed. Nonetheless, that is false; though the images present the websites of deadly collisions in Saudi Arabia, the 2 incidents depicted occurred in 2012 and 2015. There have been no current experiences of 20 Ethiopians dying in a bus crash in Saudi Arabia.
“Footage depict twenty Ethiopians killed in automobile accident in Saudi Arabia whereas travelling by Mashaer,” says the Amharic submit revealed on November 13, 2024 and shared greater than 600 occasions.
Positioned in Saudi Arabia, Kayan Al-Mashaer is a bus firm that was based to move pilgrims to the nation’s holy websites (archived right here).
Screenshot of the false submit with first picture blurred by Fb, taken on November 25, 2024
The submit incorporates three photos: the primary reveals a gallery of the purported victims after they died, whereas the second and third had been taken on the scenes of what seem like separate automobile crashes.
An analogous submit, shared greater than 70 occasions, was additionally shared right here on Fb.
Ethiopian migrants
Ethiopian migrants who journey to Saudi Arabia and different Gulf states looking for a greater life and to flee battle have died tragically throughout their perilous journeys.
AFP has reported right here and right here about Ethiopians and different migrants from the Horn of Africa who died when their boats capsized (archived right here and right here).
Saudi’s holy websites additionally appeal to travellers. In keeping with Ethiopia’s Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, 15,000 Ethiopians had been set to take part within the in style Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages in Saudi Arabia in 2023 (archived right here).
Nonetheless, the claims about 20 Ethiopians dying in a horrible bus crash in Saudi Arabia in 2024 are false.
Outdated images
AFP Reality Examine performed reverse picture searches and located that two of the images present car collisions — one which occurred practically a decade in the past and one other three years earlier.
Search outcomes for one of many images reveal that it reveals a gasoline truck crash that killed 22 individuals in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh on November 1, 2012 (archived right here).
It was amongst a gallery of images by AFP, which had been taken by photographer Fayez Nureldine.
Screenshot of the unique picture by AFP, taken on November 27, 2024
The picture’s caption describes Saudi safety forces inspecting the crash web site.
A second crash scene picture used within the false submit was revealed by an Arabic information web site on January 9, 2015. “One loss of life and 9 accidents in two accidents on Aqabat Dala’a street,” reads the headline translated into English (archived right here).
Screenshot of the unique submit, taken on November 25, 2024.
There was no point out in any of the reporting in regards to the nationalities of those that died in both incident.
It was additionally utilized by the Saudi Gazette as an illustration in a information article about annual site visitors accidents in June 2019 (archived right here).
Search outcomes didn’t yield the supply of the third picture – blurred by Fb below its group requirements coverage on violent photos – which purportedly reveals the victims of the non-existent bus crash.
An English tag on the graphic picture reads “Brex Habeshawi” — which is just the title of the Fb account that revealed the submit.
No current tragedy
Key phrase searches on Google for mixtures of the key phrases “Ethiopians killed in a automobile accident in Saudi Arabia in November 2024” had been additionally fruitless.
AFP reporters in Riyadh confirmed there was no main site visitors accident in Saudi Arabia on November 13, 2024, as claimed.
The final main disaster on the nation’s roads occurred on March 23, 2023 when a bus ferrying pilgrims to the holy metropolis of Mecca crashed within the southern province of Asir, killing 20 individuals (archived right here).
An AFP report quoted officers as saying the victims had “completely different nationalities” however these weren’t specified.
AFP Reality Examine has beforehand debunked hoax claims about street accidents right here and right here.
