Short Summary: A viral clip shared as footage of Mount Anak Krakatau's September 2026 eruption actually dates from June and shows Volcán de Fuego near Antigua, Guatemala. Reverse-image searches traced the original upload to TikTok on June 17. Anak Krakatau did erupt in September, disrupting nearly 3,000 flights and stranding over 340,000 passengers, but the viral footage is unrelated.
Viral Video Misattributed to Anak Krakatau Actually Shows Guatemala's Volcán de Fuego
Screenshot of the false post, taken on September 10, 2026, with a red X added by AFP
After Mount Anak Krakatau in Indonesia erupted in early September 2026 and disrupted air travel, a short video circulated online claiming to show the Indonesian eruption. Fact-checking reveals the clip was filmed months earlier — on June 17, 2026 — at Volcán de Fuego near Antigua, Guatemala.
What the Viral Clip Shows
Screenshot comparison of the false post (L) and the TikTok video, with a red X added by AFP
The footage depicts a man and his companions standing on a slope while the volcano emits black smoke and ejects glowing lava fragments. A reverse-image search traced the video to a TikTok upload dated June 17 with a Spanish caption that translates roughly as: "As soon as I've survived the volcano, I'll send it to you, mom." The same account posted other clips showing the same person and outfit on the same slope.
How the Location Was Verified
Screenshot comparison of the false post (L) and the TikTok video, with a red X added by AFP
Multiple lines of evidence confirm the footage is from Guatemala, not Indonesia: the clip was published to TikTok in June; the Spanish-language caption references Acatenango/Volcán de Fuego; the video was reposted by the Spanish outlet Diario El Centro on June 19; landscape features match another Instagram clip from the same eruption; and a geotagged video on Google Maps shows the same scenery.
Context: Anak Krakatau's September Eruptions
Screenshot comparison of the TikTok post (L) and the Instagram video
Mount Anak Krakatau — located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra — did produce multiple eruptions in September 2026. The activity forced Indonesia's main airport and other travel hubs to suspend nearly 3,000 flights and temporarily stranded more than 340,000 passengers before services began resuming on September 8 after ash clearance. Separately, eight people, including five journalists, were reported missing after boarding a speedboat to cover the eruption.
Guatemala's Volcán de Fuego Activity
Screenshot comparison of false post (L) and geotagged video of Volcán de Fuego on Google Maps
Volcán de Fuego erupted in June 2026 and again about two months later, prompting evacuations of more than 1,700 people. Guatemala's National Coordination for Disaster Reduction reported on June 17 that explosions generated gas-and-ash columns up to 4,800 metres (15,700 feet) above sea level.
Conclusion
The viral video widely shared as Anak Krakatau footage is unrelated: it was filmed at Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala in June 2026. AFP and other verifiers reached out to the original uploader but received no confirmation. This incident is one of several where older or unrelated footage was recirculated and misattributed to the Anak Krakatau events.
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