WHAT WAS CLAIMED
Image shows a collapsed Queensland bridge after a recent earthquake.
OUR VERDICT
False. The bridge did not collapse and the local council says the image is a product of AI.
AAP FACTCHECK - An image supposedly showing a bridge that collapsed after an earthquake in Australia is being widely shared on social media.
A flood webcam monitoring the bridge proves otherwise, however, as well as the local council and a state government agency confirming the bridge is still standing and the image is a fake, generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
The claim appeared in a Facebook post on August 16, 2025, hours after a 5.6-magnitude earthquake hit southeast Queensland.
The post features an image of a bridge with the road deck, in an implausibly clean break, hanging in a tree-lined river below.
"Maryborough Hervey bay road is closed," the caption reads.
"The bridge has come down due to a 5.1 magnitude earthquake."
Webcam images on the Fraser Coast Regional Council website reveal that - collapsed road deck aside - the bridge is the Saltwater Creek Bridge on Saltwater Creek Rd, about 8km north of Maryborough.
Days after the initial claim, the same user posted an image of the same bridge, this time intact.
"The Salt Water Creek Bridge has been fully restored ... Being a very important route we had a specialized construction team from China completed the installation of the modular bridge structure within four days," the caption reads.
The council, which monitors the bridge and several others with cameras that publish images every 30 minutes, warned people on Facebook not to be "fooled by AI" and recommended checking the council's flood camera.
"Not everything you see on social media is factual," the post's caption reads.
The Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA), which oversees disaster recovery and reconstruction in the state, also confirmed the image was fake in a Facebook post.
"While AI can be an effective tool when used responsibly, misleading AI images like this spread misinformation and waste critical resources in emergencies," the QRA wrote.
"As technology advances, these fake images will only become more realistic. That's why it's more important than ever to stay alert and rely on trusted sources for updates during disasters."
The QRA advises people seeking reliable disaster information to use such trusted sources as local council disaster dashboards, the Bureau of Meteorology, police, firefighters, the State Emergency Service and Queensland Health.
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