5G Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories Condemned After Two Mobile Phone Mast Fires
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Conspiracy theories about 5G technology and coronavirus have been strongly condemned by the government after two phone masts were apparently set on fire at the end of this week.
At a press conference on Saturday, Cabinet Secretary Michael Gove labelled theories spreading on the internet as “dangerous nonsense”, whilst Stephen Powis, the medical director for NHS England called it “the worst kind of fake news”.
Video footage of a mast on fire in Sparkhill, Birmingham on Thursday evening was widely shared on Twitter, while the Liverpool Echo reported in the early hours of Saturday morning that a mast was also ablaze in Melling, Merseyside – hours after the city’s mayor Joe Anderson criticised the theories as “bizarre”.
5G tower set on fire in Birmingham, Acocks Green pic.twitter.com/1GNe2xxJLF
— Official #1 Birmingham Page (@imjustbrum) April 2, 2020
It has not yet been confirmed that the fires were linked to false concerns about 5G technology and coronavirus, but the connection has been widely discussed online and the prominence of such theories has risen sharply in recent days.
West Midlands Fire Service told BBC news that the fire in Birmingham involved a 70ft tower on a telecommunications site, but said the cause was yet to be identified and it was not yet confirmed that the mast was in fact 5G.
A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “We’re aware of a fire involving a phone mast, but are awaiting further details on its cause.”
The Liverpool Echo reported that Merseyside Fire and Rescue confirmed crews had been in attendance at the incident, but the cause of the fire was not yet clear.
Trade body Mobile UK, which represents network providers, described the false theories – which link the introduction of 5G technology with outbreaks of coronavirus – as “concerning”, the BBC reported.
The Guardian reported on Friday that telecoms...
