Richard Irvine-Brown

@richib

Portfolio: Journo. BBC Verify. Digital investigative journalism since 2014, cars/money data before, BBC Sport 2007-2011.

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Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· 1d

This incredible image from Bolivar Square is from a video which, again, shows a building collapsing. (Not knowing if people were inside, maybe don't go looking for the video if you, understandably, find such things upsetting.) Location here: maps.app.goo.gl/tqwanxQrQWEb...

Dust and debris engulfs the 25ft, black Bolivar statue at Bolivar Square, Pereira, Colombia, as a building collapses nearby. Birds scatter in the morning sun and people run with their heads covered.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· 1d

Third update of the evening from Verify, including me, on the Colombia quake. This time the city of Pereira, possibly closest to the epicentre of the earthquake. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cj...

Buildings collapsed and landmark sites clouded in debris in Pereira
published at 20:22
20:22
By Richard Irvine-Brown and Kumar Malhotra

Between Cali and Manizales, and 55km (35 miles) from the estimated epicentre of the quake is the city of Pereira, in the heart of Colombia's coffee growing region.

Videos we've verified show the extent of damage across the city.

At Bolivar Square, the main plaza at the heart of Pereira, footage shows at least one building collapsing, sending debris and dust across the open space where many people had gathered.

To the east, another building, a four-storey apartment building teeters then collapses at the junction of Calle 8 and 13.

Other footage shows at least one building collapsed in the more recently developed neighbourhood near Avenida Belalcazar.

A grab of Google Maps, showing the proximity of the city of Pereira from the given location of the Western Colombia earthquake. (About 55 kilometres or 35 miles.)

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· 1d

Likewise, this video (and a screengrab doesn't convey the sense of city-wide destruction), was filmed almost exactly here: maps.app.goo.gl/bpzPcjiYCScg... (This was Emma's find.)

View from hills covered in grass and bushes, looking down on the city of Cali, Colombia, has several sites of dust and smoke rise up in the distance. 10 August 2026.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· 1d

So, for the sake of transparency and encouragement of anybody to try geolocation work... This still is from a video showing the damage at an EPS Sanitas. It was filmed here: maps.app.goo.gl/VVLi5wVBGuVf... (The video shows other buildings which match this POV.)

The facade of an EPS Sanitas building - three storeys, glass fronted, white - falls on ambulances waiting below, Cali, Colombia, 10 August 2026

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· 1d

Here's what we have so far on Cali, a city to the SW of Manizales: www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cj... With @emmapengelly.bsky.social

BBC live page post: Hospitals in city of Cali damaged by quake.
By Richard Irvine-Brown, Kumar Malhotra and Emma Pengelly

Pictures show four storeys of the beige-coloured, five storey wing of a university hospital in Cali collapsed, and the facade snapping off the three-storey, glass-fronted white building of an EPS Sanitas in the city.

Videos from the city of Cali, 200km (130 miles) to the south west of Manizales, has also show the scale of damage the quake has brought.

One video, filmed from the high hills overlooking the city shows giant plumes of dust and debris thrown up across the west of the city.

Another shows the façade of an EPS Sanitas, a Colombian healthcare provider, collapsing onto ambulances along a crowded street.

Meanwhile, a third video shows five of the six storeys of a wing of the Valle Evaristo Garcia university hospital have collapsed.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· 1d

If you've seen this video, it was filmed here: maps.app.goo.gl/VVTRnqRLhegR... The five-storey building collapses entirely seconds later. (It shows the collapse of a building while people are evacuated from the university across the street, and should be considered distressing to watch.)

A five-storey building on Avenue Santander, Manizales, Colombia, moments before it collapsed. It is a white-faced modern build and flanked by a tall palm tree.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· 1d

If you've seen the video I've taken these images from, it was filmed at this street corner: maps.app.goo.gl/ukSJFLf8YCeL...

Building facade in Manizales damaged by earthquake, 10 August 2026. The building has at least four stories, is teal and beige, with curved balconies, and large cracks across the plasterwork.

The skewed clocktower of Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, an old, tall and ornate church with a giant stained glass window and intricate architecture.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· 1d

Right now going through dozens of videos showing the cities of Cali, Periera and Manizales hit by the 7.4 quake in Colombia. With @sryder.bsky.social for the BBC live page: www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cj...

Damage seen across city of Manizales, including building collapse

BBC Verify has authenticated two clips from the Colombian city of Manizales, showing the extent of destruction brought by the earthquake.

On the western side of the city, damage to buildings can be seen including the clocktower of the Cathedral Basilica now slumped at a dangerous angle.

Meanwhile, a video from the eastern side shows a five-storey building collapsing while people are evacuated from the city's Catholic University across the street.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· 5d

And helping facilitate the main story: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Huge plumes of smoke seen rising in the skies from the site where the Slavneft-Yanos oil refinery in Russia is located

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· 5d

Another day of violence traded between Ukraine and Russia. Working with @paulybrown.bsky.social and @robcorp.bsky.social among others. For the BBC Live Page: www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c2...

Extensive damage to shops in Ukraine’s Sumy after attack

By Richard Irvine-Brown and Peter Mwai

BBC Verify has geolocated images of the aftermath of last night's attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy, which injured 12 people.

The pictures, shared by the head of Sumy region Oleh Hryhorov, show extensive damage to several supermarkets and high-rise buildings, which appear to be residential, along Metalurhiv Street in the north of the city.

One shop has partially collapsed and the next has had its entire facade ripped down to the brickwork. A second shop has multiple smashed windows and a large metal panel has caved in.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· 7d

Talking today, this week, and the past 17 days in warehouse strikes across Russia, on the BBC News Channel.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· 14d

A short way across the city was a different scenario at a Costco, with families stuck under fallen goods and flickering lights: www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c9...

Video captures loud bang and falling pallets in warehouse store
published at 15:58
15:58
By Richard Irvine-Brown

We’ve verified dramatic footage from inside the Kumamoto branch of retail warehouse chain Costco, 3.5km (two miles) to the east of the Aeon Mall.

One video starts with the sound of a small bang after which children can be seen crying and clinging to their parents as the lights flicker on and off.

People are also visibly trying to navigate pallets of goods that have fallen from high shelves. Some have been trapped by the falling items while others are seen trying to help them out.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· 14d

Outside the mall, on its southern side, we saw the level of destruction from a reported explosion: www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c9...

BBC graphic of three screengrabs from two social media videos showing debris strewn around the car park of Aeon Mall, Kumamoto, Japan. They show giant pieces of awning crumpled, a ladder and brick debris scattered, a car and an advertising board damaged.

Two videos have been verified from outside the Aeon Mall showing damage to the south side of the building.

Some of the building’s facades have been ripped apart in the earthquake while large sections of an awning have been thrown across the car park to a nearby road.

Smashed advertising boards and rubble from the shopping centre are also captured in the clips.

In one video, emergency workers are preparing a trolley near a waiting ambulance.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· 14d

Kumamoto, Japan: 7.1 magnitude earthquake. What can we see and say? Analysing the situation as people left the Aeon Mall for the BBC Live Page: www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c9...

Screengrab from a social media video showing a person in a white t-shirt with long hair shepherding a child in a blue t-shirt through a large shop toward double doors, among many other people leaving. Aeon Mall, Kumamoto, Japan.

People seen evacuating Japan mall after quake
published at 14:11
14:11
By Richard Irvine-Brown

We’ve verified a minute-long video showing people making their way toward the exits of the Aeon Mall. Many of those seen in the footage appear to remain remarkably calm as an alarm sounds.

In the clip, one man can be seen carrying a baby and a woman can be seen with her arm around the shoulder of a child as they walk out of the building.

As the camera pans, we can see shelves hanging loose and debris scattered on the floor including tiles from the building and cups and baskets from a coffee shop.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· Jul 9

Here's one of a couple of photos shared from the harbour (which we didn't use in the live page but posted here as an example) next to an older photo from Google of the harbour, which we used for reference.

People inspect a burning boat at a harbour next to a steep and sandy hill in Banud, Iran

Google Photo of a harbour in Banud, Iran. It shows bright blue boats lined up against sandy hills.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· Jul 9

Here's the Mehr News copy with annotation and the shape of the harbour visible. And Benedict's illustration of what we're looking at from Google Maps, looking out toward the coast.

Screengrab from Mehr News Agency, showing a desert coastal area with thick black smoke rising from one spot.

Screengrab from Google Maps, showing coast of southern Iran, focusing on Banud. It shows a desert coastal area with hills and a harbour out to sea. A red square is drawn on and a purple line to indicate an unpaved route.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· Jul 8

“Stack them on Ultra Magnus (the car-carrier robot),” says @danghile.bsky.social. How did I do, @wildwheelshat.bsky.social?

Author’s own Transformers Robots In Disguise Side Burn, Supercharged Mode, a red Dodge Viper with flame motif and chrome gold hubcaps is balanced on the head of Transformers Classics Ultra Magnus, a stocky white robot with blue truck windows on its chest.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· Jul 8

Yes, yes, other things are good, but have you ever had two toy robots which turn into sicknasty cars with flames on their bonnets? HAVE YOU?

Author’s own copies of Transformers The Movie reissue Generation 1 Hot Rod; a futuristic sports car in magenta with a yellow spoiler and a yellow flame decal on an orange bonnet. Next to it is Transformers Robots In Disguise Side Burn Supercharged Mode, a red Dodge Viper with chromed exposed engine and a yellow-to-orange flame decal on the bonnet. Both cars are absolutely mint.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· Jul 7

A fourth video shows a vehicle on fire on the side street beside Al-Bustan, likely the fire people were initially inspecting. The corner of the adjacent building, the Ministry, can again be identified by Google Photos, in which the Al-Bustan is tagged.

Screengrab from a social media video showing a vehicle burning in the foreground, with a two-storey building with tall windows and a terracotta roof nearby.

Detail from a Google photo of the corner of the Ministry of Tourism in Damascus, taken at night time, showing the windows, the cornerstones and the terracotta roof, with the trees of the main road beyond.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· Jul 7

Tip: If you see solar panels (highlighted orange here, against the Sulaymaniyya Takiyya with the green arrow) in the northern hemisphere, they will be pointing south and can help orientate any geolocation, mostly in the Middle East.

Screengrab from a social media video filmed over central Damascus. It shows several multistorey buildings with large solar panels (highlighted) on their roofs. A plume of smoke is beyond them and the white dome of a mosque can be seen beyond that.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· Jul 7

A third video shows the Four Seasons Hotel (where President Macron was reportedly staying) (red) and the Sulaymaniyya Takiyya (green) in the background in the same shot as smoke rising from Shukry Al-Quowatly. Damascus Tower is also seen (white).

Screengrab of social media video filmed over central Damascus. There are many smaller buildings in the foreground, and larger buildings in the middle ground. It is a clear day.
A tall building, the Damascus Tower, has been highlighted, as has another tall building with a staggered facade, and a dome and minarets in the background.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· Jul 7

We see the explosion near Shukry Al-Quowatly, main road east-west through Damascus. Another angle shows proximity to both the Ministry of Tourism and the Sulaymaniyya Takiyya, and from which we know how close the Four Seasons hotel is. The site of the explosion is circled here.

Screengrab from social media video showing a very wide road through Damascus, with people walking around. Palm trees, a terracotta-roofed building and the many domes of the Sulaymaniyya Takiyya are in the background.

Screengrab of Google Maps satellite image showing a major road through Damascus. There are large buildings on either side of the road. Part of the road has been circled in red.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· Jul 7

We know from this video there was something on fire beside the Al-Bustan Hotel, and police were attending. We hear sirens, and people in uniforms are there. Then there's an explosion nearby. The Hotel was identified by Google Photos, as was the Ministry of Tourism beside it.

Screengrab from a social media video. It shows the seven-storey concrete building of the al-Bustan Hotel, next to the two-storey ornate building of the Ministry of Tourism, on a clear day in Damascus, Syria. There is a fire beside the hotel.

Screengrabs of Google Photos of the Al-Bustan Hotel and Ministry of Tourism in Damascus. The Hotel is a seven-storey concrete building with a curved corner. The Ministry is a two-storey building with tall windows and a south-facing solar panel on the roof.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· Jun 30

Switching to air, rounding off our work on the day, was watching the likely (later proven correct) Iranian officials' flight to Switzerland for talks. P much posted as the wheels touched down. (Why did we think this was their flight? Post explains.) www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c9...

Iranian flight lands in Zurich
As well as tracking vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, we’ve also been monitoring what may be a flight carrying an Iranian delegation to Switzerland, ahead of diplomatic talks tomorrow.
We followed a Meraj flight from Tehran to Zurich, touching down at 22:14 local time (20:14 UTC) this evening. It's not clear who was aboard, but Iranian state media has reported that a group of national officials had departed this afternoon.
Meraj is an airline identified by the US, and sanctioned, as being used by the Iranian government. It is also listed by aviation market intelligence company the Centre for Aviation as a "VIP charter carrier, offering services to the Heads of State and Government of Iran".
The airplane used has the registration EP-SSM and is logged on Flightradar24 as having made flights in the past fortnight to several Iranian cities including Rasht and Najaf, as well as international return flights to Istanbul on 11 June and Moscow on 12 June.
It is scheduled to fly from Zurich to Geneva later tonight.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· Jun 30

As you can tell, I'm sure, the first two posts were one deluge of information, split between those vessels turning around and those heading through the Strait of Hormuz. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c9...

Some tankers appear to have passed through the strait today
While several vessels appear to have made U-turns around the Strait of Hormuz today, the latest tracking data shows at least five tankers appear to have passed through the Strait.
The Bitumen Star, listed as an asphalt/bitumen tanker, and Petrel 1, listed as an oil/chemical tanker, appear to have transited the strait today (they each began transmitting AIS data while already in the middle of the strait) by the northern route.
The former appeared in the strait around 10:30 UTC (11:30 BST, 14:30 local) and exited the western side around 13:45, with the latter following about an hour behind.
Meanwhile, three vessels - the Mombasa B, Al Salam and Al Bateen - all listed as types of oil tanker, each appeared at the eastern end of the southern route between 09:30 and 10:30, and appeared to transit the strait, all having left on the western side by 12:10.
However, Bahrain Prosperity appeared in the middle of the southern route around 12:45, but stopped while approaching the western edge of the strait at 14:15 without moving further, then disappearing by 15:15.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· Jun 30

A large part of the past six months for BBC Verify has been transportation monitoring in one form or another. Last Saturday, @paulybrown.bsky.social and I had three live page posts on what we could tell from sea & air monitoring. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c9...

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· Jun 21

15/ So, we have two POV (green lines) showing a missile coming from the right of screen (white arrow) and causing the explosion. We have three verified videos of Manpads being launched from a motorway junction 2km away (yellow square), to intercept drones, some of which were refinery-bound.

Screengrab of a satellite image of the drums of Kapotnya Oil Refinery, the buildings of an adjacent shopping centre, a nearby motorway curving past them both and the woods and industrial-commercial areas beyond.

Two green lines have been drawn on, one from the centre of the picture to the refinery, the other from the bottom right to the refinery, where they converge. These indicate known points of view of videos showing the trajectory of a missile, her estimated by a white arrow pointing at the refinery.

A motorway junction flyover has been marked with a yellow box.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· Jun 21

14/ One video in particular shows the Manpads launch at the junction, clearly framed by the chimneys of the oil refinery in the background. The missile, although launched toward the south, presumably tracking a target, turns toward the refinery.

Screengrab from a social media video showing a man firing a Manpads shoulder-mounted missile launcher as the moment the missile leaves the launcher. They are stood on a motorway flyover on a cloudy day with the chimneys of Kapotnya Oil Refinery visible in the background.
A large red arrow and the word 'Refinery' indicates this.

Screengrab from a social media video showing the turn of a missile. Although the sky is cloudy, a chimney and other structures of the Kapotnya Oil Refinery can be seen in the background.

Richard Irvine-Brown@richib· Jun 21

13/ As ever, please check our workings. As ever with Russian work, check Yandex, too. Google streetview is from 2021, Yandex shows a rebuilt junction from 2025, including the buildings, walkway and even the roadsign seen in the videos.