{
  "id": 7246049,
  "title": "Fact Check: Did Anak Krakatau Ash Really Reach Jakarta?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/fact-check-did-anak-krakatau-ash-really-reach-jakarta",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-14T04:27:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tempo.co English",
    "slug": "tempo-co-english",
    "url": "https://en.tempo.co/read/2119519/fact-check-did-anak-krakatau-ash-really-reach-jakarta"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On September 4-6, 2026, the volcanic eruption of Anak Krakatau located in the Sunda Strait caused concern and speculation across social media platforms. Two pieces of content claiming to show ash reaching Jakarta were widely shared on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. However, a fact check conducted by Tempo has revealed that neither of these images is related to the volcanic activity.\n\nThe first image showed a plume resembling dust rising near a shopping area. Verified through reverse image searches and geolocation checks, the source was identified as a post by X account Radio Smart FM. The smoke was actually caused by a fire in an underground power line due to a short circuit at a PLN substation. This incident occurred in Central Jakarta on September 6, 2026, specifically near Jalan Pasar Baru.\n\nThe second image displayed two cars covered in thick ash. This photograph did not depict the Anak Krakatau eruption. Instead, it showed the aftermath of the 2014 Mount Kelud eruption in Yogyakarta. The image had originally been posted on Twitter on February 14, 2014, by the late Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a former head of the Data, Information, and Public Relations Center at the BNPB. Google Street View confirmed the photograph was taken in Gondokusuman District, Yogyakarta City.\n\nConclusively, the fact-checking process reveals that the viral images were misleadingly circulated to suggest volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau reached Jakarta. The actual causes of the smoke and ash seen in the images were unrelated geological events.",
  "summary": "Fact Check - Viral photos claiming to show Anak Krakatau ash in Jakarta are misleading, with images traced to a fire and the 2014 Kelud eruption.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}