In the wake of Japan's earthquake and tsunami disaster, there have been many reports of major casualties, injury and death. However, it has also seen a wave of misinformation come through the blogosphere - particularly on Twitter.
The past six hours has seen the topic of Satoshi Tajiri, the creator of the Pokemon franchise, become a trending topic on Twitter.
"The creator of Pokemon died today in the #tsunami, #Japan. RIP: Satoshi Tajiri. #prayforjapan," wrote Twitter user @xCyrusAndLovato, with many similar tweets following in its wake.
Searches beyond the Twittersphere, however, point to no official reports or verified sources confirming the death of Mr. Tajiri, 45. Nintendo, who have worked with the Pokemon franchise since its video game inception, have since confirmed that none of their company alumni - including Mr. Tajiri - have been injured.
"Thanks for your concern!" wrote @NintendoAmerica.
"During the earthquake, no one at Nintendo in Japan was injured and there was no apparent structural damage."
Additionally, Mauritis Hot reports that Mr. Tajiri "fainted while seeing the destruction done by the Tsunami," but "is not dead."
Twitter has been the source of many death hoaxes in recent years, spreading rumours of deaths for celebrities such as Charlie Sheen, Jim Carrey, Kanye West and Justin Bieber.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Links to where you can donate money to help Japan:
Doctors Without Borders
Peace Winds America
Shelter Box
Save the Children
Global Giving
Red Cross (select their DREF option)
Jewish United Fund
Source for German Organizations
Other International Organizations
International Trustworthy Donation Sites
Canadian Red Cross
Animal Refuge Kansai
Pet Connection
World Vets
American Humane Society
