A photo purportedly showing a mother holding her child while floating in the water after the tragic boat capsizing incident at the Bargi Dam on the Narmada River has gone viral on social media. The claim suggests that the image captures a real moment from the incident, which reportedly claimed several lives while many others were missing.
The above post can be seen here. (Archive)
NM VERIFIED
NewsMobile verified the claim and found that the image is AI-generated.
To verify the claim, the NM team conducted a keyword-based search on Google but could not find the viral image published by any credible media organisation. Despite its widespread circulation on social media, no reliable news outlet had carried this particular photo in their coverage of the tragedy.
Upon closer inspection, several inconsistencies were observed in the image. Elements such as the unnatural detailing of the woman’s bangles, the positioning of the bodies, and the unusually clear water texture raised doubts about its authenticity. These visual discrepancies indicated possible digital manipulation.
During the investigation, a report by Hindustan Times dated May 1 was found, which included the actual photograph from the incident. The viral image appears to be a modified or AI-generated version inspired by that real photograph.
For further confirmation, the viral image was analysed using Hive Moderation’s AI detection tool, which indicated that the image was indeed generated using artificial intelligence.
The viral image claiming to show a mother holding her child during the Bargi Dam tragedy is not real. It is an AI-generated visual, likely created by altering or recreating an original photograph from the incident.
