Advertisement
Fact-Check | This photo of firefighter rescuing cat is not from Hong Kong’s Tai Po blaze
While pets were among those saved from the deadly fire, this photo does not show scenes from Wang Fuk Court
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
With the rise of social media and generative AI, how much of what we see online is true? In this new series, SCMP Fact-Check, the Post investigates claims circulating online and debunks viral misinformation impacting the daily lives of Hongkongers.
“A firefighter holding a cat he saved from the Hong Kong fire,” reads the superimposed text of an Instagram post from November 29.
The image in the post appears to show a Hong Kong firefighter clutching a cat wrapped in a towel.
It circulated online in the wake of the city’s deadliest fire in decades at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court, which has claimed at least 160 lives and left thousands homeless.
Advertisement
But the photo predates the blaze in Tai Po.
Investigation
A reverse image search on Baidu found a similar photo taken from a different angle in a report by activist group Hong Kong Animal Post, published on May 24, 2024.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x