Immediately after the major explosion at the port of Beirut, Lebanon, numerous reports began circulating on social media, claiming to present the cause of this disaster.
While most of the videos appeared authentic, filmed by residents from their homes, rumors about the cause of the explosion also quickly spread on platforms such as Twitter and WhatsApp.
But what misinformation is being spread online?
An analysis published in BBC, breaks down some of the efforts to spread fake news and conspiracy theories in this regard.
From fireworks to nuclear bombs
The claims about fireworks seemed plausible at the time, but other tweets suggested the event was caused by a nuclear bomb due to the white mushroom cloud seen rising in some of the footage.
This now-deleted tweet, which claimed the explosion was "atomic," was shared by multiple verified Twitter accounts with more than 100 followers.
Weapons experts have been quick to react, saying that if the explosion had been caused by a nuclear device, it would have been accompanied by a blinding white flash and heat that would have caused severe burns to people.
Also, mushroom clouds aren't just typical of nuclear explosions. According to experts, they're caused by humidity in the air, which condenses water and creates clouds.
"Bomb or missile attack"
Unfounded claims continued to spread, blaming the US, Israel, and Hamas for their “nuclear bomb.” These stories were spread by partisan news sites as well as public figures.
According to research by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, conspiracy theories promoted by far-right groups have also been shared on Facebook, 4chan, Reddit, and messaging apps like Telegram.
The messages have focused largely on false claims that this was an Israeli attack, or a bomb or rocket attack on a Hezbollah weapons depot.
Chloe Colliver, from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, told BBC News: "We have seen well-known sources of disinformation, including far-right extremist networks online, spreading unsubstantiated claims about the nature and motivations behind the outbreak.
"This has included theories that attempt to link the explosion to Israel or other states."
Authorities in Lebanon and Israel have rejected suggestions that Israel had any connection to the incident.