00:00What misleading and false claims spread about the Cran-Montana Deadly Fire?
00:10A deadly fire at a bar in the Swisske Resort of Cran-Montana
00:14killed 40 people and endured more than 100 on New Year's Eve.
00:18A range of verified online footage catalogs the tragedy,
00:21which mainly involved teenage victims,
00:24providing a timeline of how the blaze ignited.
00:27But a host of other misleading claims, fake images and AI-generated content
00:32have also gained traction across social media.
00:36Several accounts claimed the fire was caused by an explosion,
00:39relaying initial reports made by local authorities.
00:43Although authorities rapidly clarified their statements,
00:47these posts have remained online, sparking confusion.
00:50By the morning of the 1st of January,
00:52Swiss authorities ruled out an attack on the bar and instead pointed to a fire.
00:56On the 2nd of January, they said that it was likely ignited by sparkler candles,
01:02which were attached to champagne bottles, and set the ceiling alight.
01:06Officials explained that loud bangs reported by witnesses
01:09were caused by flammable materials, which burned quickly.
01:14This widely shared photo claimed to show emergency responders after the fire.
01:19But a closer look reveals that they are wearing jackets with polish writing on them.
01:23That's because these images are from a gas explosion, which occurred in Poland in 2019.
01:29Another image claiming to show the venue's exterior
01:32does not match verified photos of the bar,
01:35because it is in fact AI-generated.
01:38And here, we trace this footage of waiters swirling handkerchiefs,
01:42while a fire blazes above them to a fire at a restaurant in Bali a week earlier.
01:47Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the owners of the bar
01:51and whether they complied with safety requirements.
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