Fake news adds to India’s flood torment

Indian men take a small boat to travel across flood waters past a marooned farm building to reach their homes in Pandanad in Alappuzha District in the south Indian state of Kerala on August 21, 2018. - More than one million people have swarmed relief camps in India's Kerala state to escape devastating monsoon floods that have killed more than 410 people, officials said Tuesday as a huge international aid operation gathered pace. (Photo by MANJUNATH KIRAN / AFP)

KOCHI, India: Cristiano Ronaldo has not donated US$11mil (RM45.17mil) to the Kerala flood disaster fund and there are no cracks in a key dam, but India’s fake news machine has been working overtime to fuel confusion and fear. 

The Kerala state government and India’s military have issued rare warnings about viral social media messages as they confront the aftermath of floods which have killed some 420 people.