3 killed in accident - FAKE NEWS

SOCIAL media was abuzz on Christmas day after a message was posted to Facebook and rapidly shared across other sites including WhatsApp, indicating that three people had been killed in an accident during the early morning hours yesterday along the Solomon Hochoy Highway. This however turned out to be fake news.

Senior police sources confirmed that no such accident took place on Christmas eve and no one was killed. Checks at all major hospitals also showed that no one was brought in with injuries from any accident and no one was killed in any accident.

The fake news post stated: "FATAL ACCIDENT: THREE DEAD. Around 2 am, 27 year old Akeem Phillips was heading home after hanging out with friends when he lost control of the vehicle on the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway near Chaguanas.

"Sources told (name of an online news organisation) that Phillips died on the scene, while two others, identified as 32 year old Rennison George and Hakeem John were injured and taken to the hospital, but later succumbed to their injuries.

"In an unrelated incident, shortly after 10 pm, a serious accident that occurred on the north bound lane in Claxton Bay also claimed the life of one individual. The identity of the deceased was not revealed."

This report duped at least one major radio station which ran with it as its second lead story on its Christmas day midday major news report.

One of the "accident victims" identified in the online report took to Facebook to assure panicked relatives and friends that he was very much alive. “I am alive!" the man declared on his FB page, also posting a photograph of himself.

In another post he told friends and relatives. “Merry Christmas everyone have a blessed one, is (sic) you can see I am ok.”

Police sources said that people need to be extremely careful with social media posts since many are fake and are uploaded to social media websites for malicious reasons. Up to press time, the fake report was still circulating on Facebook.