A video claiming to indicate a “188-year-old man” being rescued from a cave close to Bengaluru has gone viral, gathering over 34 million views on X. The footage, shared by the account ‘Involved Citizen,’ sparked widespread debate and curiosity. The caption learn: “This Indian man has simply been present in a cave. It is alleged he is 188 years outdated. Insane.”
The 24-second video reveals two males serving to an aged man with a white beard who’s hunched over and utilizing a strolling stick. Whereas the video went viral, the exceptional declare concerning the man’s age was met with skepticism from fact-checkers and social media platforms.
A number of studies clarified that the person within the video is Siyaram Baba, a Hindu saint from Madhya Pradesh. As a substitute of being 188 years outdated, he’s round 110 years outdated. X additionally added a disclaimer beneath the unique submit, stating: “Misinformation! The aged man is a Hindu Saint named ‘Siyaram Baba’ who lives in Madhya Pradesh, India. In keeping with studies, he’s about 110 years outdated.”
Information verification group D-Intent Information confirmed the findings. They labeled the video and the age declare as deceptive. In a submit on X, they said, “ANALYSIS: Deceptive. FACT: A video exhibiting individuals serving to an aged man claims he’s a 188-year-old Indian present in a cave. This isn’t true. The aged man is a saint named ‘Siyaram Baba,’ who lives in Madhya Pradesh, India.”
The platform’s fact-checking notice additionally cited a July 2024 article from Navbharat Occasions, which confirmed that the person’s true identification is Siyaram Baba, and said he was 109 years outdated on the time. Siyaram Baba is a revered saint within the Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh.
Though the video went viral, it has been established that the declare of a “188-year-old man” is fake. Specialists have warned that social media influencers are more and more sharing movies with exaggerated and unverified claims to draw consideration. D-Intent Information suggested customers, stating, “Influencers are posting movies with made-up claims to realize visibility on social media.”