Uttarkashi Cloudburst: IAF Chinook Chopper Airlifts JCB For Rescue Ops? No, Viral Image Is Edited

Claim

A Chinook helicopter, operated by the IAF, airlifts a JCB excavator to aid rescue operations in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district, where a deadly cloudburst on August 5 triggered heavy rains and flash floods.

The archived version of the post can be seen here. We received this image on our Whatsapp tipline (91-9999499044), too, requesting us to fact-check it.

Fact

Newschecker ran a keyword search for “Chinook JCB Uttarkshi”, which led us to multiple reports, seen here, here and here, stating that the IAF has deployed its Chinook helicopters to help rescue efforts. However, none of the reports stated that it was used to airlift a JCB excavator nor was the viral picture shared in any of the reports.

We then ran a reverse image search, which led us to a similar image featured in a Rediff report, dated October 8, 2020. “An IAF CH 47 Chinook helicopter carries a howitzer [artillery weapon] during a dress rehearsal for the Indian Air Force Day celebrations at the Hindon airbase,” read the caption of the photograph. A Zee News report, dated May 6, 2022, carried the same image.

A comparison of the 2020 image with the viral photograph revealed multiple similarities — the shadows of the rotor blades on the helicopter’s body, the position of the blades and the hanging cables. Moreover, we found the exact image of the JCB machine seen in the viral photograph on this construction company’s website.

A further image search led us to the background of the viral photo featured in several media reports, seen here and here, saying that it showed the Dharali market after the devastation caused by the flash floods.

We then ran the viral image past the Fake Image Detector, which flagged it as a “computer-generated or modified image”.

Police Debunk Image

Newschecker also came across this August 8, 2025 X post by the Uttarkashi Police, debunking the viral image as “fake”.  “The aforementioned picture of a JCB being lifted by a Chinook is being linked by some people to the Harshil, Dharali disaster rescue in Uttarkashi, which is completely false and misleading,” read the Hindi post.

We also spoke to local journalists, currently reporting from Uttarkashi, who said that Chinook helicopters are being used in relief operations, but only to rescue people and carry generators, while there has been no discussion to airlift a JCB excavator to the site.

Also Read: Uttarkashi Cloudburst: Old Video of Men Being Rescued From Flooded River In Himachal Falsely Shared as Dharali

Sources
Zee News report, May 6, 2022
Rediff news report, October 8, 2020
Hindustan Times report, August 5, 2025
Uttarkashi Police X post, August 8, 2025
Telephonic conversations with local journalists
Fake Image Detector