Viral Photo of Theatre Roof Collapse Misidentified; Actually From Washington Incident

A viral photo of a theatre roof collapse attributed to an Argentina incident is actually from an earlier event in Washington State. The Washington collapse occurred during the screening of “Captain America: Brave New World” with no injuries, while the panic in Argentina resulted in minor injuries during a birthday screening of “Final Destination Bloodlines.”

A viral photo claiming to show a theatre ceiling collapse during a screening of a new “Final Destination” film has been mistakenly attributed to an incident in Argentina. In fact, this image originates from an earlier event in the United States, where a similar occurrence happened during a showing of “Captain America: Brave New World.” On February 25, the ceiling of Liberty Cinema in Wenatchee, Washington, collapsed but fortunately no injuries were reported.

The real incident in Argentina occurred on May 19, during the 29th birthday celebrations of an attendee named Fiamma Villaverde. The ceiling fell at Cinema Ocho located in La Plata, Buenos Aires Province, possibly influenced by recent heavy rainfall. Even though Villaverde sustained minor injuries to her legs, back, and shoulder, initial reports from the scene depicted quite a different situation.

Images started circulating on social media showing debris from the roof alongside the still-running movie screen. Many posts suggested that this was from the new “Final Destination” screening, leading to confusion and concern among netizens. However, upon investigation by India Today Fact Check, it was revealed that the circulating photo was not from Argentina but rather from the Washington incident two months prior.

The fact check team did a reverse image search which linked back to a report from NBC News on February 27. This confirmed that the Washington theatre incident had occurred just days earlier, with only two moviegoers present at the time of the collapse. The lack of injuries compared to the Argentine incident highlights that there was a considerable difference in scale between the two collapses, despite the misleading photo.

Interestingly, the collapse in Washington was deemed far more severe, with significant portions of the ceiling—including rafter beams and tiles—falling onto the audience area. Reports showed a rather chaotic scene with debris scattered as the film continued to play, which likely fueled the viral nature of the images. It has become evident that this old incident has been incorrectly linked to the unfortunate event in Argentina.

In summary, while there indeed was a ceiling collapse during a viewing of a film in Argentina, the circulated photo is from a completely different event that happened earlier in Wenatchee, Washington. This serves as a reminder of the importance of verifying sources before sharing information on social media.

In conclusion, the viral photo associated with the theatre ceiling collapse during a screening of “Final Destination” in Argentina turns out to be misattributed. It actually depicts an incident from Washington that occurred months earlier. As incidents like this can spread misinformation quickly, it underscores the need for thorough verification before sharing news or images online.

Original Source: www.indiatoday.in