As Muslims from the world over travelled to Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the annual hajj pilgrimage in early June 2025, photos of an plane in flames have been shared on social media alongside claims {that a} Mauritanian aircraft carrying pilgrims had crashed, killing over 200 individuals. That is false; one of many images dates again 18 years to an unrelated occasion within the Republic of the Congo, whereas a second picture reveals an air catastrophe in South Korea from December 2024 . The Mauritanian authorities additionally denied the claims.
“A aircraft carrying Mauritanian hajj pilgrims crashed on their option to the holy metropolis of Mecca. Greater than 210 hajj pilgrims have been martyred,” reads a part of a textual content overlay revealed on a TikTok put up on Might 28, 2025.
The caption of the put up, shared greater than 1,300 instances, consists of the hashtag “#airplanecrashmauritania”.
Screenshot of the false TikTok put up, taken June 5, 2025
The video incorporates two static photos of burning planes on a runway, edited with a movement filter and Arabic music taking part in within the background.
Related claims have been revealed elsewhere on Fb right here and right here.
Thousands and thousands of Muslims make the once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage annually to the positioning believed to be the birthplace of the prophet Mohammed (archived right here).
Nevertheless, posts claiming the photographs of a burning aircraft present a Mauritanian air catastrophe involving Muslims on their option to Mecca in June 2025 are false.
Outdated photos
Search outcomes confirmed that the picture has been beforehand linked to stories of various airline disasters.
Two on-line publications courting from 2022 (archived right here) and 2024 (archived right here) additionally beforehand used the {photograph} as an example two separate incidents.
The primary occurred when a Nigerian air-force aircraft crashed in April 2022, killing the 2 pilots on board (archived right here). The second incident, reported by the BBC in December 2023, wasn’t a crash in any respect, however concerned a NAF aircraft that apparently mistakenly fired at worshippers in a mosque in Kaduna, northwestern Nigeria, leaving some 85 individuals useless (archived right here).
Nevertheless, reverse picture searches revealed that the photograph was revealed by aviation web site Airliners, on Might 10, 2007 (archived right here) and confirmed a Russian-made Ilyushin Il-76td army cargo aircraft hearth that occurred at Pointe-Noire Agostino Neto Airport, within the southwest of the Republic of the Congo.
“The Il-76 freighter caught hearth on the bottom whereas it was being loaded in preparation for a flight to Brazzaville (BZV),” reads the photograph caption.
The markings on the nostril of the aircraft within the TikTok put up clearly match these within the authentic picture.
Screenshots evaluating the primary picture from the false put up (left) and the unique photograph revealed by Airliners (proper)
Numerous articles in native information retailers from 2007 corroborate the date and site of this incident, stating that there have been no casualties (archived right here and right here).
Further photos of the occasion discovered on on-line discussion board Flightstory (archived right here) have been used alongside a Google Earth search to pinpoint the situation of the hearth, inserting it subsequent to an air-traffic management tower seen in {a photograph} taken outdoors the airport.
The spot the place the aircraft burnt – positioned behind the management tower – continues to be seen on Google satellite tv for pc imagery taken in 2018 (seen right here).
Screenshots evaluating picture of the 2007 hearth revealed on Flightstory (high) and Google Earth view (backside)
Reverse picture searches for the second picture within the TikTok video led to an AFP report revealed on France 24 a couple of South Korean passenger aircraft that crashed in December 2024, killing 179 individuals (archived right here).
Featured in the AFP article is {a photograph} exhibiting the harm to the aircraft. The caption in AFP’s archives reads: “Firefighters and restoration groups work on the scene the place a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 collection plane crashed and burst into flames at Muan Worldwide Airport in Muan, some 288 kilometres southwest of Seoul on December 30, 2024.”
JUNG YEON-JEAFP
JUNG YEON-JE / AFP
The photograph used within the false declare seems to have been altered to take away the South Korean flag, which is clearly seen on the facet of the plane within the AFP {photograph}.
Screenshots evaluating the second picture from the false put up (high) and the unique AFP {photograph} revealed by France 24 (backside)
AFP Truth Verify didn’t discover any credible stories on a current Mauritanian aircraft crash.
Nevertheless, Mauritania’s state-run information outlet revealed a press release confirming that every one hajj pilgrims arrived safely on June 4, 2025 (archived right here).
Moreover, Mauritanian Airways dismissed all claims of a crash in a press release revealed on Fb on Might 27, 2025 (archived right here).
“Some overseas social media pages have circulated malicious rumors a couple of aircraft carrying Mauritanian pilgrims crashing off the Pink Sea. These stories are fully unfounded,” reads the assertion in Arabic.
“Mauritania Airways confirms that every one Mauritanian pilgrims have arrived safely and securely within the Holy Land, thank God, and no accidents have been reported associated to the flights organized on this context.”
AFP Truth Verify has beforehand debunked different photos regarding this declare right here and right here.
