Fact Check: Misleading 2026 Anak Krakatau Eruption Video
A viral video claiming to show the September 2026 eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau is misleading and actually shows footage from 2018.
Social media users have been sharing videos claiming to show the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau in September 2026. However, a fact-check found that the footage actually depicts the eruption that occurred in October 2018, not 2026. Using reverse image search tools and confirmation from reliable sources, it was determined that the video was published on YouTube by photographer and videographer Martin Rietze on November 6, 2018.
Rietze documented the eruption over three days from October 24 to 26, 2018, at Rakata Beach. According to data from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, increased activity at Anak Krakatau began in mid-June 2018, with an eruption occurring on June 29, 2018, that lasted through the end of that year. The location of the eruption center also differs from the 2026 event, with lava flow emerging from the flank of the mountain near the sea.
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