A lot of misinformation and fake news has flooded social media ever since coronavirus hit India. However, not all that we read on the internet is true and it’s always better to check the facts before believing them. One such WhatsApp message is going viral on social media platforms which claims that all the trains operated by the Indian Railways will stop operating from December 1.
The message further states that COVID-19 special trains that were announced by the government to ferry passengers amid the coronavirus crisis will also stop running. Needless to say, all those people who have already booked their railway tickets for their journeys in the coming month are in a state of confusion and panic.
However, there is nothing to worry as the message is totally fake. Refuting such claims on social media, the fact check wing of the Government’s Press Information Bureau said that Ministry of Railways has taken no such decision on halting of train services after December 1.
In a tweet, PIB wrote, ”It is claimed in a #WhatsApp forward that all trains including the #COVID19 special trains will stop operating after 1st December. #PIBFactCheck: This claim is #Fake. @RailMinIndia has taken no such decision on halting of train services after 1st December.”
It is claimed in a #WhatsApp forward that all trains including the #COVID19 special trains will stop operating after 1st December. #PIBFactCheck: This claim is #Fake. @RailMinIndia has taken no such decision on halting of train services after 1st December. pic.twitter.com/3ZeGyCEaOw
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) November 23, 2020
The Press Information Bureau launched this fact-checking arm in December 2019, to curb misinformation and fake news prevalent on the internet. It claimed that its objective was “to identify misinformation related to government’s policies and schemes that are circulating on various social media platforms”.
The global tally of coronavirus cases stands at 58,970,525. While 40,759,532 have recovered, 1,393,227 have died so far. The US, the worst-hit country, has 12,588,661 cases, and 262,696 have died from the disease there. It is followed by India, which has 9,140,312 cases, Brazil (6,071,401), France (2,140,208), Russia (2,089,329).