Hurricane-prone states The day in pictures Get the USA TODAY app Start the day smarter ☀️ U.S. Elections Sports Entertainment Life Money Tech Travel Opinion ONLY AT USA TODAY: Newsletters For Subscribers From the Archives Crossword eNewspaper Magazines Investigations Podcasts Video Humankind Just Curious Best-selling Booklist 24/7 Live Stream Legals OUR PORTFOLIO: 10Best USAT Wine Club Online Sports Betting Online Casino Reviewed Homefront Blueprint Southern Kitchen Best Auto Insurance Best Pet Insurance Best Travel Insurance Best Credit Cards Best CD Rates Best Personal Loans Home Internet FACT CHECK fact-checking Add Topic # Fact check: Video of bright light in sky predates Turkey earthquake ![\\"Portrait](\\"/gcdn/authoring/authoring- images/2023/11/29/USAT/71739954007-hudnall.jpg?crop=1664,1665,x0,y161&width=48&height=48&format=pjpg&auto=webp\\") Hannah Hudnall USA TODAY ![\\"\\"](\\"/gcdn/presto/2023/02/09/USAT/1b27ef38-7a22-41e5-86ed-551eb07f3682-AP_Turkey_Syria_Earthquake.JPG?crop=8639,4860,x0,y439&width=660&height=371&format=pjpg&auto=webp\\"/) PlayPause Sound OnSound Off 0:00 1:15 AD SKIP ClosedCaptionOpen ShareEnter Full ScreenExit Full Screen ## The claim: Video shows light in sky before Turkey earthquake A Feb. 7 Instagram video features a screen recording of a TikTok video that shows an unusual white light shooting across the sky at night. \"Before the Turkey earthquakes they saw this strange light,\" reads the post\'s caption. The Instagram video garnered more than 2,000 views in six days, while the original TikTok garnered more than 900,000 views in a week. Similar versions of the post have been shared on Instagram. Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks ## Our rating: False The video is unrelated to the earthquake in Turkey. It dates back to at least September 2022 and was filmed in Balkhash, Kazakhstan. ## Video filmed in Kazakhstan before earthquake in Turkey The video in question has no connection to the Feb. 6 earthquake that as of Feb. 14 had yielded a death toll of more than 40,000. Though the origins of the video couldn\'t be verified, it was shared on Telegram as early as September 25, 2022, long before the earthquake struck Turkey. It was filmed in a different country as well. As first reported by French broadcaster RTFB, the scenery of the video, including the nearby building, street signs and sidewalk, matches that of a street in Balkhash, Kazakhstan, according to Google Maps. Fact check: Earthquake videos are from Nepal and Trinidad, not Turkey USA TODAY has previously debunked similar videos falsely linked to the earthquake, including videos filmed in Saudi Arabia, Nepal and Trinidad that were tied to the disaster online. USA TODAY reached out to the Instagram user who shared the post for comment. The TikTok user couldn\'t be reached. The claim has been debunked by AP and Reuters as well. ## Our fact-check sources: * USA TODAY, Feb. 13, A week after Turkey earthquake rescues continue * Revolution, Sept. 25, 2022, Telegram post * Google maps, accessed Feb. 14, Balkhash, Kazakhstan * Associated Press, Feb. 10, Clip shows rocket in Kazakhstan, not ‘strange light’ before Turkey quake * Reuters, Feb. 10, Fact Check-Video of bright light in the sky filmed in Kazakhstan in 2022 Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. Featured Weekly Ad About Us Newsroom Staff Ethical Principles Responsible Disclosure Request a Correction Press Releases Accessibility Sitemap Subscription Terms & Conditions Terms of Service Privacy Policy Your Privacy Choices Contact Us Help Center Manage Account Give Feedback Get Home Delivery eNewspaper USA TODAY Shop USA TODAY Print Editions Licensing & Reprints Advertise With Us Advertising Acceptance Policy Careers Internships Support Local Business News Tips Submitting letters to the editor Podcasts Newsletters Mobile Apps Facebook X Instagram LinkedIn Threads YouTube Reddit Flipboard 10Best USAT Wine Club Online Sports Betting Online Casino Reviewed Best- selling Booklist Southern Kitchen Jobs Sports Betting Sports Weekly Studio Gannett Classifieds Homefront Home Internet Blueprint Auto Insurance Pet Insurance Travel Insurance Credit Cards Banking Personal Loans LLC Formation Payroll Software © 2024 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC.
Video shows light in sky before Turkey earthquake