Fact check: A Pakistani fan was not killed in clashes with Afghan fans at World Cup

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LONDON: A photograph of a dead man in a body bag has been shared thousands of times in Facebook posts and WhatsApp messages that claim it shows a Pakistani killed in clashes with Afghans at the Cricket World Cup 2019 in Headingley, England. The claim is false; the photo actually shows a car accident involving illegal migrants in Turkey; West Yorkshire police said they had no reports of fatalities after the clashes in Headingley.

The photo was uploaded in a Facebook post on June 30, 2019, where it has been shared more than 81,000 times.

The post contains two photos — one of a dead man in a body bag and another showing Pakistani cricket fans letting off flares in stands.

The Urdu caption translates to English as: “Extreme of enmity. Because of beating by ungrateful Afghans, a Pakistani lost his life — may Allah grant him a high place in paradise. Amen.”

The image of cricket fans in the misleading posts is actually an Associated Press (AP) photo of spectators at the June 29, 2019 cricket match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Headingley.