Importance Score: 35 / 100 🔵
Misleading Social Media Posts Link Cat Rescue Photos from Taiwan Earthquake to Myanmar Tremor
Following a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar in late March, which resulted in numerous fatalities and the collapse of a building in neighboring Thailand, social media platforms saw the spread of misinformation. Images falsely purported to depict a cat being rescued from a collapsed skyscraper in the Thai capital, Bangkok. However, these photographs actually originated from a separate seismic event that struck Taiwan in April 2024.
Social Media Misinformation
A Burmese-language Facebook post, dated March 29, 2025, falsely claimed: “A cat getting rescued from the Bangkok collapsed building.”
The deceptive post featured images of an orange cat amidst rubble, being recovered by a rescuer wearing protective gear. This misleading content was shared over 900 times on Facebook.
Screenshot taken on April 8, 2025 of the false post
Reports indicated that a high-rise building had collapsed in Bangkok following the significant earthquake on March 28, tragically resulting in the deaths of numerous construction workers.
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On April 8, Myanmar’s military government announced that the earthquake had caused over 3,600 fatalities within the country.
Origin of the Images: Taiwan Earthquake
The same inaccurate claim, associating the cat rescue with the Myanmar earthquake and Bangkok building collapse, was repeated by multiple Facebook users in Myanmar. However, the images actually depict a cat saved after an earthquake struck Hualien, eastern Taiwan, in April 2024.
A reverse image search conducted on Google revealed that the initial photograph was published on April 13, 2024, in a news report by Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA). The report detailed efforts to rescue the feline from the Uranus building in Hualien.
The CNA report further stated that the cat’s owner tragically died while attempting to save her pet.
Screenshot comparison of the picture as seen in the false post (L) and on CNA’s website
Taiwan Earthquake Details
The magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Taiwan caused the Uranus building, characterized by its glass facade, to lean at a precarious angle, becoming an iconic image representing Taiwan’s most intense earthquake in 25 years.
The second image circulating in the false posts was also featured in a report about the same cat rescue. This report was published on the same day by the Taiwanese news source, the Liberty Times.
Screenshot comparison of the photo from the false post (left) and from the Liberty Times
Fact-Checking Confirmation
Local news channel Formosa TV also broadcasted similar video footage, capturing the actual rescue of the cat and its subsequent transport to a veterinary clinic for treatment.
AFP has independently verified visuals related to the Myanmar earthquake and debunked similar misrepresentations.