With the novel coronavirus infections on the rise, China has started undergoing extreme measures to counter the outbreak and prevent the spreading of the disease.
Meanwhile, some people are doing their best to stay as safe and comfortable as possible while others are inducing fear by spreading fake news.
One such fake story claiming that people are facing a shortage of toilet paper due to the closure of a major producer has recently taken over the social media in Hong Kong and even led to an armed robbery.
According to the South China Morning Post, armed robbers have ambushed a supermarket delivery man with knives and stole 600 rolls of toilet paper.
Shortly after the incident, two robbers were arrested whereas the police are still on the search for three other perpetrators. The authorities have also secured the stolen rolls of toilet paper.
“This is a senseless act and we are shocked. A temporary shortage was caused by a sudden and unusual surge in demand. We will do our utmost to speed up replenishment in our stores until the situation stabilizes,” the supermarket’s spokesperson said.
As the authorities believe, the bizarrely-high demand for toilet paper was caused by fake news claiming Hong Kong is facing a shortage of toilet paper.
After the incident, the local government has expressed their “regret over the malicious act of spreading rumors when the city is fighting against the disease [coronavirus], and condemns those rumor-mongers with evil intentions.”
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Replaced!