Old Image Of An Exploded Commode In Hong Kong Going Viral Linking It To The Recent Explosions In Lebanon.

Thousands of pagers and radio devices exploded in two separate incidents in Lebanon recently which has left thousands injured and taken over 30 lives. On this backdrop, an image of an exploded commode went viral on social media linking it to the recent explosions in Lebanon. Sharing the image user wrote, “Some Hezbollah operative blew up while taking a dump”.

https://archive.org/details/screenshot-2024-09-21-170541

Facebook Link | Archived Link.

However, as we investigated, we came to know that the claim was false. The image is not related to the recent explosions in Lebanon. Here’s the fact check.

Fact Check

We started our investigation by conducting a reverse image search. Following this, we found the image in a news report published on 28 January 2020. According to the report, a bomb exploded in a public toilet in Shenzhen Bay Control Point on 28 January 2020.

Archived Link.

Taking this clue, using relevant keywords, we found another report published in the South China Morning Post on 28 January 2020. The report read, “An improvised explosive device was discovered in a rubbish bin at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point on Tuesday morning, just 12 hours after a Hong Kong public toilet was set ablaze by a suspected home-made bomb, making it the third such incident in the past 48 hours”.

Archived Link.

The viral image was attached to the report, with a caption, “A suspected improvised explosive device destroyed a public toilet at the King George V Memorial Park on Jordan Road in West Kowloon on January 27. Photo: handout”.

Other reports can be read here and here.

From this, it’s clear that the viral image is old and from Hong Kong.

Conclusion 

From our investigation, we can say that the claim is false. The viral image of an exploded commode is old and from Hong Kong. This has no link with the recent explosions in Lebanon.