Fact Check: Volcanoes Have Erupted In Indonesia, But This Viral Video Is AI-generated

New Delhi (Vishvas News): The ‘Anak Krakatau’ volcano erupted in Indonesia on the night of September 4, 2026. A video linked to this incident is going viral on social media. Rising lava following the volcanic eruption and people running away can be seen in the video. Some social media users are sharing this video and claiming that it shows the eruption of the Anak Krakatau volcano in Indonesia.

The viral video turned out to be AI-generated during the investigation by Vishvas News. However, four volcanoes, including Anak Krakatau, have indeed erupted in Indonesia.

What is the viral post?

Facebook user ‘Sitapur Express News’ shared a video (archive link) on September 8, 2026 and wrote, “Anak Krakatau active again in Indonesia. Ash from Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano affected about 2,961 flights and troubled 3.41 lakh passengers. Airports are now gradually reopening, monitoring continues.“

Investigation

When we carefully analyzed the viral video during our investigation, people initially appeared to be standing calmly during the volcanic eruption, and moments later, parked cars suddenly started moving. Furthermore, no driver was visible in one of the cars, while the legs of a person running on the road disappeared, and the person appeared to merge into the background. These anomalies raised suspicion that the viral video was AI-generated.

We checked the video using the AI detection tool ‘Hive Moderation’, which indicated that the video was more than 94% likely to be AI-generated.

We also checked keyframes of the viral video using ‘Was It AI’, and the tool assessed the video as 97% likely to be AI-generated.

For further confirmation, we contacted our partner, ‘DAU’ (Deepfakes Analysis Unit, an initiative by TIA—formerly MCA). They checked the keyframe of the video using the ‘imagewhisperer’ tool. This tool also indicated a high probability that the video keyframe was AI-generated.

These findings indicate that the viral video is AI-generated.

Following this, we searched Google using keywords to find actual video footage of the Anak Krakatau volcanic eruption in Indonesia. We found a video of the event uploaded to the ‘Associated Press’ (AP) YouTube channel on September 6, 2026.

A collage comparing screenshots of the viral video and AP’s news video can be seen here.

What is the context?

The Anak Krakatau volcano in Indonesia erupted on the night of September 4, 2026. According to a report published on the CNBC Indonesia website on September 7, 2026, “The impact of ash released by the Anak Krakatau volcanic eruption was felt by people across several regions. In addition to Anak Krakatau, three other volcanoes—Mount Ibu in North Maluku, Mount Semeru in East Java, and another in East Nusa Tenggara—also spewed lava due to eruptions. Despite their proximity, the eruptions among these four are not directly connected. Daryono, a member of the Indonesian Association of Disaster Experts (IABI), stated that there is no pipeline connecting the magma chambers between these volcanoes. According to the official Magma ESDM website, eruptions continued as of September 7, 2026.”

According to a report published on the website of the Indonesian news agency ‘Antara‘ on September 7, 2026, “Indonesia has around 500 volcanoes, of which 127 are considered active. Because of this, volcanic eruptions occur frequently, posing continuous risks to public health and safety. In early September 2026, eruptions were recorded at Mount Ile Lewotolok in East Nusa Tenggara, Mount Semeru in East Java, Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra, and Mount Anak Krakatau in Lampung. Between September 1 and 5, 2026 alone, Mount Ile Lewotolok reported 1,873 eruptions, sending ash plumes 200-700 meters above its peak. Eruptions continued into the morning of September 7, with two additional eruptions recorded.”

According to a report by the BBC on September 8, 2026, “Indonesia reopened five airports after midnight on September 8. Operations were halted for two days due to volcanic eruptions over the weekend.”

Finally, we scanned the profile of the user who shared the AI video. Created on July 28, 2018, ‘Sitapur Express News’ has around 7,800 followers.

Conclusion: On the night of September 4, 2026, the Anak Krakatau volcano erupted in Indonesia. However, the viral video in connection with this event was created using AI tools.

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Tags

• AI generated video
• Anak Krakatau