Claim: A video shows tourists stranded at the Babusar Top due to heavy snowfall in November 2025.
Fact: The video shows cars of tourists stranded in Murree due to severe snowfall in January 2022.
An Instagram user posted a video (archive) that apparently showed tourists stranded at the Babusar Top, a mountain pass in Pakistan’s north. “According to multiple reports, around 150 tourists were rescued after being stranded in about 50 vehicles near Babusar Top and nearby high-altitude areas in the Kaghan Valley,” the caption of the post said.
Earlier this month, heavy snowfall blocked the Babusar top in Pakistan’s north, and upper parts of the Kaghan Valley, leaving a large number of tourists stranded. Police rescued over 150 tourists, including women and children in around 50 vehicles stranded near the pass and other parts of the valley.
Therefore, this article does not fact-check the caption of the Instagram post but only the video circulating with the claim.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check reverse-searched keyframes from the video and found that it is old and shows Murree, not the Babusar Top.
Sky News published a video report in January 2022, titled “Pakistan: Severe snow traps and kills people in Murree tourist hotspot”. This report shows cars stranded in deep snow, matching the clip in the claim, as shown below.
On the left is the scene from the Facebook reel that matches the Sky News video on the right.
The same report stated that at least 22 people died after getting stuck in their cars in Murree. Many people stranded died of hypothermia, and others died of carbon monoxide poisoning after their vehicles left the heaters running for long periods, Al Jazeera reported.
France 24 English also posted a video report on this tragedy. The outlet shared it on YouTube on 9 January 2022, titled, “Deadly snowstorm traps hundreds of tourists in their cars in Pakistan • FRANCE 24 English”. Scenes in this clip, for instance, at 0:05, match scenes from the clip in the claim, confirming that it is old.
Soch Fact Check, therefore, rates the claim as false as the video is from the Murree incident in January 2022, and not from recent events at Babusar Top.
Virality
This clip was shared on Facebook here, here.
The video appeared on X here and here.
On TikTok here and on YouTube here.
Conclusion: The video in the claim does not show tourists stranded near the Babusar Top due to recent heavy snowfall in the area. Instead, it shows cars of tourists stranded in Murree in January 2022 when at least 22 people died stuck in heavy snowfall.
Background image in cover photo: Dawn
To appeal against our fact-check, please send an email to appeals@sochfactcheck.com