2015 video from China viral as blast at Luhansk Power Plant in Ukraine after Russian airstrike

The video does not show a blast in Luhansk Power Plant in Ukraine. This video is almost 7 years old showing a blast in a factory in China.

Russian forces have launched a major military assault on Ukraine, with reports of missile strikes and explosions near major cities of the country. In a televised speech, Russian President Vladmir Putin announced a “military operation” in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region. 

In the backdrop of the ongoing clashes between Russia and Ukraine, social media users are sharing a video of a huge blast and claiming that this video is from Luhansk Power Plant in Ukraine after the Russian airstrike.

The Caption of the post mentions, “Fire At Luhansk Power Plant After Russian Airstrike, #UkraineRussiaCrisis #RussiaUkraine #Russia #UkraineInvasion.”

Facebook Post | Archive Link 

This video is widely circulating on Facebook.

Fact Check-

We started our investigation by running a keyword on Google, which led us to the exact same video posted by BBC News on 14 August 2015. The caption of the video mentioned “Tianjin explosion video captures fear of eyewitnesses,” 

The description of the video states, “Footage of two massive explosions in the Chinese city of Tianjin, taken by a stunned eyewitness, captured the fear and terror of those who saw what happened. Dozens of people died and hundreds were injured when a warehouse owned by a company specialising in handling hazardous goods caught fire and exploded. City officials say they still did not know what materials were at the warehouse at the time of the fire, or what caused the blasts. Eyewitness Dan van Duren filmed the moment of the explosions, before he and others fled to avoid the danger.”

The Guardian published a news report on this incident in 2015 stating that an eyewitness named Dan Van Duren, captured the moment of the huge blasts that tore through the industrial area in the Chinese port city of Tianjin. The explosions took place where toxic chemicals and gas were stored, and killed at least 55 people, including firefighters.

Was there a blast in the Luhansk Power Plant in Ukraine?

According to Bloomberg, a power plant in eastern Ukraine has suffered damage from a fire that started during “constant shelling,” cutting heat and electricity to thousands of people. 

The facility in the Luhansk region, which is close to the contact line between Ukrainian army and Russia-backed separatists, is the biggest local producer of electricity. It has been under attack during the past 24 hours, with critical staff being evacuated to the bomb shelter.

Conclusion-

Fact Crescendo found the viral video on social media to be False. The viral video does not show a huge blast in Luhansk Power Plant in Ukraine after the Russian airstrike. The video is originally from China showing a huge blast in the industrial area of Tianjin in 2015.

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