A distressing video showing a man trapped under debris being pulled out by rescuers has gone viral on social media, with users claiming it shows a survivor being rescued 24 hours after the catastrophic floods that struck Nepal on August 26. The footage shows the man partially buried under concrete and rubble as people work to free him.
A social media user shared the video with a caption that reads, “This scene is horrifying. The flood that struck Nepal has swallowed countless lives, but there are some who, even 24 hours after the flood has passed, are still alive, fighting against death. Seeing the person, the soul trembles.”
SouthCheck found that the claim is false. The viral video is from March 2026 and is from a cold storage accident in Prayagraj.
On a Google Reverse Image Search, we found that the same video was shared by a YouTube channel on March 24.
The video is shared with a caption that reads, “#Prayagraj:- Live rescue cold storage in #Chandapur of #Fafamau, Malaka Gaddopur Prayagraj.” Thus, according to the video's description, the clip shows a rescue operation during a cold storage accident in Phaphamau, Prayagraj.
We further found that the video was also shared by Bhaskar six months ago. According to the report, a cold storage facility in Prayagraj’s Phaphamau area collapsed after an ammonia-related explosion on March 23, 2026, killing four workers and injuring 18 others. Rescue teams pulled trapped workers from the debris. Police subsequently arrested six people, including former SP MLA and facility owner Ansar Ahmad. A probe found alleged safety lapses, including poor maintenance, lack of worker training and absence of proper safety measures.
A cold storage facility in Prayagraj’s Phaphamau area partially collapsed, killing four workers and injuring 14 others. An ammonia gas leak was also reported after the collapse. Police registered an FIR against seven named individuals, including former Uttar Pradesh minister and Samajwadi Party leader Ansar Ahmad ‘Pahelwan’, his son Manjul and the facility manager, along with five unidentified people. They face murder and six other serious charges. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced Rs 2 lakh compensation for each deceased worker’s family and Rs 50,000 for each injured person.
Hence, we can ascertain that the viral claim is false.