Video of fairground ride accident is from China, not Atlanta | Fact check

Gabrielle Settles, USA TODAY

September 13, 2024 at 1:26 p.m.·2 min read

The claim: Video shows people getting hurt on a ride at Atlanta county fair

A Sept. 5 Instagram post (di rect link, archive l ink) shows a video of a swing ride at a fair. As the swings come down, each rider smacks into the back of a truck parked too close to the ride.

“Do NOT come to the atlanta (sic) county fair,” reads text on screen.

The video was also shared on other platforms, including YouTube.

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Our rating: False

The CEO of the Atlanta Fair said the incident did not happen there. The video was first posted a year ago and shows an incident that occurred in a province of China.

Video incorrectly labeled as being from Atlanta

The Atlanta Fair ran from March 1 to April 7 and will be back from Oct. 4 until Nov. 3. But Ray Guthrie, the fair’s president and CEO, told USA TODAY the video doesn't show one of their rides.

“We don’t even own one of those rides,” Guthrie said.

All evidence points to the video originating in China.

The video has circulated online for well over a year, and the earlier versions identify that as the location. The American branch of China Global Television Network, a state-controlled media group, posted the same video on Jan. 24, 2023, and stated that it was filmed in Zhoukou, in China’s Henan province. The incident was caused by “misoperation by an employee," the media group reported.

Other versions of this video show people, clothing and background music consistent with that location as well.

Fact check: Video shows gymnasts performing in Israel, not Paris Olympics

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Our fact-check sources:

Ray Guthrie, Sept. 10, Phone interview with USA TODAY
CGTN America, Jan. 24, 2023, Facebook post
Newsflare, Jan. 22, 2023, Tourists on swing ride in China flung into nearby truck

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Video of fairground ride accident not taken in Atlanta | Fact check

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The claim: Video shows people getting hurt on a ride at Atlanta county fair

Our rating: False

Video incorrectly labeled as being from Atlanta

Our fact-check sources:

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