False claims on social media about the death toll in Uttara plane crash

A misleading claim on Facebook has gained traction following the fighter jet crash in Uttara. Numerous posts, citing Milestone School authorities, claim that 247 people were killed and 522 were injured in the incident. However, the school administration told Dismislab that the claim is entirely false.

Several posts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) have been circulated since July 23, making an identical claim: “Dead-247 Injured-522 Source: Milestone School authorities.”

An analysis of one such post that echoed the same claim shows it has drawn significant engagement: more than 200 users reacted, over 100 commented, and the post was shared 10 times. A closer examination of the comments reveals a mix of responses—some users questioned the accuracy of the information and asked for proof, others appeared to accept the claim as true, while several dismissed it outright as a rumor. One user, demanding verification, wrote, “This source needs to be verified, I also want to know the truth.” Another, accepting the claim at face value, commented, “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. What cruelty! We are the sacrificial lambs.” A third user, treating the post as misinformation, remarked, “People who spread such rumors should be reported to the police.”

To verify the authenticity of the posts, Dismislab first contacted the authorities at Milestone School and College. When contacted on WhatsApp, Mrs. Lutfunnesa Lopa, the coordinator of the committee formed by the educational institution to determine the number of injured, dead, and missing students in the plane crash, said that the school authorities did not make any such list being circulated on social media. She said, “This is fake news.”

While verifying the death toll from the July 21 aircraft crash, a discrepancy was found between the figures provided by the interim government and those released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). As of the day of reporting, the government reported 29 fatalities, while the ISPR put the death toll at 31.

But the casualty figures circulated on Facebook in the name of the school authorities are false.