The damage from Storm No. 3 and the historic floods is still too severe and complex to fully assess.
People across the country are coming together to support the affected areas and communities. On social media, heartbreaking posts are shared daily, but not all of them are true.
One viral post showed a couple carrying their young child while evacuating through floodwaters, moving viewers to tears: “Heartbreaking evacuation scene of a family in Ngoc Linh commune, Vi Xuyen, Ha Giang… Storm No. 3, floods, and the endless pain and loss…”
Many praised the husband’s determination and protective gaze as he led his family out of danger. However, this post was actually staged content made to get views.
The husband in this viral clip is YouTuber P.X.D, who lives in Tan Lap village, Ngoc Linh commune. Although the area experienced flooding during the storm, his home was not affected. The footage was created as content during the rainy season.
Authorities quickly summoned the YouTuber for questioning.
This isn’t the only case
People need to stay cautious about what they see on social media. Earlier on September 6, many pages shared a photo of an octopus seemingly suspended in midair with captions like: “An octopus on Hainan Island, China during Typhoon Yagi.”
That information was completely false. The octopus photo was taken in 2018 in Qingdao, a coastal city in Shandong province, eastern China. At that time, some sea creatures were swept inland and tossed into the air by a waterspout.
