FALSE: Miss Universe Myanmar 2020 dies in car crash

At a glance

• Claim: Miss Universe Myanmar 2020, Thuzar Wint Lwin, died in a car crash in June 2021.
• Rating: FALSE
• The facts: Miss Universe Myanmar 2020 is alive and has been active on social media. However, Miss International Queen Myanmar 2020, May Thitsar Maung, reportedly died because of a car accident.
• Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube video containing the claim has over 30,000 views, as of writing.

Complete details

A video uploaded on June 9 by YouTube channel “Erl Peonila” falsely claims that Miss Universe Myanmar 2020, Thuzar Wint Lwin, died in a car accident.

The video is titled,” MISS UNIVERSE: MISS MYANMAR PUMANAW NA DAHIL SA CAR ACCIDENT (REST IN PEACE MISS MYANMAR)” (Miss Universe: Miss Myanmar died due to a car accident.)

Contrary to the misleading title, the content of the video says that it was not Miss Universe Myanmar 2020 who died, but Miss Universe Myanmar 2019.

“May mga nag-komento din dito na ang naaksidente raw ay ’yung kasalukuyang representative daw ng Miss Myanmar. Pero maling-mali po kayo mga kaibigan dahil ang naaksidente at sabing pumanaw ay si Miss Myanmar 2019,” it says.

(There were people who commented that it was the current Miss Universe Myanmar who figured in a car accident. But you’re wrong, it was Miss Universe Myanmar 2019 who got into an accident and died.)

The video has over 30,000 views, as of writing. Two readers emailed the claim to Rappler for verification.

These claims are false.

Miss Universe Myanmar 2020, Thuzar Wint Lwin, as well as Miss Universe Myanmar 2019, Swe Zin Htet, are alive as of June 2021.

The two beauty queens have posted on their official social media accounts after rumors of their deaths spread on June 9. As of writing, Thuzar’s latest post on Instagram was on Friday, June 11. Swe Zin also shared a photo on her Instagram page on Friday as well.

There are no official news reports of the two beauty queens’ death as of writing.

Meanwhile, there are reports of a car accident involving Miss International Queen Myanmar 2020, May Thitsar Maung. Vietnamese newspaper Thanh Niên and Thai news portal Sanook both reported on the transgender beauty queen’s death due to a car accident.

The Miss International Queen is a pageant for transgender women.

Miss International Queen France 2020, Louiz Avendei, posted condolences on her Instagram account on June 8. The two beauty queens were roommates during the Miss International Queen 2020 competition in Thailand. – Owenh Toledo/Rappler.com

Owenh Toledo is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.