Pakistan floods spark viral fake news of mass deaths, heroics

As devastating floods tore through Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, social media filled with dramatic claims of mass casualties, heroic rescues, and multimillion-rupee donations.

But a fact-check by Nukta revealed that several widely shared stories were either false or significantly distorted.

One of the most viral claims came from Swat’s Manglawar area, where posts credited Saeed Ahmed, a school principal, with saving 950 children from the floods. According to the reports, his quick thinking prevented a large-scale tragedy.

But the reality was different. Local journalist and resident Anwar Anjum told Nukta that schools had already been dismissed early because of flood warnings. “In our region, it is common practice to send children home whenever there’s a flood alert. My own children were already back before the floodwaters came,” he said.

The floods struck the area about 20 minutes after the children had left, later inundating the Government Primary School building itself. Ahmed confirmed that he had closed the school early due to rising water levels in nearby streams, but the children were never in immediate danger.

In Buner district — one of the worst-hit areas — another viral claim alleged that 150 children in Malakpur were swept away. The story turned out to be false.

Buner’s Deputy Commissioner, Kashif Qayum, called the report “completely fabricated and unverified,” adding that it caused unnecessary panic among the public.

Social worker Muhammad Rafiq, who rushed to the scene, said he too initially believed the alarming rumor. “When we arrived, we found only three children had been swept away. The rest were safe on the school’s second floor. The floodwaters rose nearly 12 feet, but the building stood elevated, keeping them safe,” he explained.

With homes destroyed and communications down, Rafiq said unverified reports spread quickly in the chaos.

Another false report claimed that 80 people had died in Kot Kale. In reality, 15 people and several houses were swept away, while most residents escaped to nearby mountains. The rumor gained traction because the entire village was washed away, giving the impression that no one survived.

Misinformation also targeted individuals. One viral post claimed that Saveera Prakash, the first Hindu woman from Buner to contest a general election, had donated PKR 50 million for flood relief.

Saveera denied the claim outright. “I don’t even have that much money, so how could I donate it? People spread fake news just for likes and views. I could have taken advantage of this claim since it was in my favor, but I cannot build my politics on lies,” she said.

As Pakistan continues to face deadly floods, the spread of false stories has added another layer of challenge for communities already grappling with destruction and loss.