2014 migrant tragedy video falsely linked to COVID-19

Colombo (News 1st); A video clip is currently making its rounds across many social media platforms claiming to be of authorities of an undisclosed country throwing the bodies of COVID-19 victims in to the sea.

Screenshot of the message circulated on social media

News 1st did its own digging in to the video, and found it is from the Libyan coast where bodies were washed ashore from a shipwreck in 2014. The disturbing video showing the bodies of migrants washed ashore after a boat capsized near the Libyan coast in 2014, is being falsely linked to the deaths caused by the novel Coronavirus. The clip is being shared with a bizarre narrative that discourages people to eat seafood during the outbreak of COVID-19 as countries are disposing COVID-19 infected corpses in the sea. The misleading claim is viral on both WhatsApp and Facebook with the caption, "Some countries throw Covid-19 infected dead bodies into the seas. Advice to stop eating seafood. The World is really coming to an end. Dear God, please intervene." According to reports, the bodies were found washed up 30 miles east of Tripoli, the capital of Libya. The deceased were African migrants making their way illegally to mainland Europe. Heres's a link to an International Media report filed in 2014, which is a 100% match to the video circulating in 2020 with a false link to the coronavirus. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su9HqWj1Wt4 ) Fake news and fake videos made rounds in Sri Lanka as well in relation to COVID-19 forcing authorities to take strict action, who added not only posting false content, but sharing and forwarding such content would result in arrests and such people would be prosecuted.