You might have come across many Facebook posts and WhatsApp messages about a dead child in an ice box with the message, "Kidnapped children boxed in ice to be transported and sold for their organs. Common in inhumane and materialistic China. So cruel and barbaric just to get rich quick."
The video, shows a woman crying her heart out, as she unpacks the box, and removes the ice, piece by piece, from the dead child's body. It is a heart-wrenching scene, and the post got shared on Facebook over 7,500 times.
Except, it's a hoax. People have been misinformed and fooled yet again.
The true story behind the child in the ice box however, remains sad and tragic.
Truth behind the 'kidnapped child in ice box' story
According to Channel NewsAsia, police in Yiyang city, Hunan, China, have confirmed that the incident has nothing to do with organ trafficking. In fact, it is not a criminal case.
The sad truth is that, the little boy had drowned while at a relative's house in Guangdong, and was packed in a box of ice to be transported back home, due to fears of his body decomposing in the summer heat.
There were many other bizarre stories related to this boy's death. One rumour claimed that he was carelessly placed in the box for a nap, and got accidentally frozen to death.
Unfortunately, we are now living in the post-truth era, where lines between real and fake are slowly blurring. Let's be responsible, and verify any information before forwarding them on to others. Don't believe everything you read online.
Source: Channel NewsAsia
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