PUDUKKOTTAI: Around 10 am on Friday, residents of Thirupanavasal near Avudayairkoil heard a “big noise.” A few minutes later, locals noticed a fire on a nearby field. A few passers by who captured the fire on video allegedly put it out on WhatsApp groups saying a helicopter had crashed near the Melavasantham irrigation tank.
Even as the video went viral, a photograph also made its way into social media and a few TV channels began airing the ‘news’ of a helicopter crashing at Thirupanavasal.By the time officials arrived at the ‘location of the crash,’ a large number of people had gathered there and ‘news’ of an Army chopper with six persons onboard crashing at the village had spread.
However, officials ruled out a helicopter crash saying that the fire was because of the burning of a karuvelam tree. The photograph circulated on the media was that of a crash in which basketball player Kobe Bryant was killed on January 26 this year in the US.
One of the officials who inspected the spot, said, “We were shocked by the information spread by people. Even before we reached the spot, people were talking of helicopter parts being found. People living as far as Karaikudi said they heard a sound.”
Ruling out a helicopter crash, Thirupanavasal VAO Poyyamozhi said, “I inspected the alleged crash site, but found no helicopter parts. Yes, a plane did fly above this area in the morning and there was a big sound. But, the rest of all the story was false. We warn people against spreading such wrong information.”
Officials, who were unable to explain the noise, however, contacted the nearest air force base at Thanjavur and confirmed that no flight or any such activity was carried out in the morning.
Taking strong objection to the fake news, Collector P Uma Maheshwari warned of strict action against people spreading such information. “A dry tree was burning in the area and no debris of a helicopter has been found anywhere,” she said.