Fact Check: Red Sky Video Linked to Indonesia Earthquake is False

A video circulating on social media falsely claims that a red sky phenomenon occurred in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake. The video, which shows a dark area under a crimson sky with lights on, gained traction after the August 15, 2026, earthquake in NTT.

However, a fact-check by Tempo.co, using reverse image searches and credible media reports, has determined the video is not from Indonesia. The phenomenon depicted actually took place in Colombia after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake on August 10, 2026. That earthquake resulted in hundreds of deaths, injuries, and missing persons.

Reports from Colombia indicate that residents were bewildered by the deep red sky, with panic spreading online as people linked it to seismic activity. Analysts explained that the atmospheric event was caused by the scattering of sunlight and not a sign of earthquake activity.

The 7.7 magnitude earthquake in NTT on August 15, 2026, did cause significant tremors, amplified by local geological conditions. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded over 1,600 aftershocks and issued tsunami warnings for several coastal areas. Despite the seismic activity, the red sky seen in the viral video is unrelated to the NTT earthquake.