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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Disasters & Emergencies

Fact Check: Video Falsely Linked to NTT Tsunami After Earthquake

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • A video circulating online falsely claims to show a tsunami hitting East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Indonesia, after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake on August 15, 2026.
  • Fact-checking reveals the video actually depicts waves from Super Typhoon Fung-wong hitting the Philippines in November 2025.
  • While a magnitude 7.7 earthquake did occur in NTT, the tsunami warning issued was for waves under one meter and was lifted hours later.

A video showing massive waves has been falsely attributed to a tsunami in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) region following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake on August 15, 2026. The video circulated widely on social media platforms, with posts claiming it documented a tsunami hitting Labuan Bajo.

A tsunami hit Labuan Bajo this afternoon following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake.

— Social media postA claim made on social media accompanying the viral video.

However, a fact-check by Tempo reveals the footage is unrelated to the NTT earthquake. Reverse image searches and cross-referencing with credible media reports identified the video as showing the aftermath of Super Typhoon Fung-wong in Aurora Province, Philippines. The same video was uploaded to Facebook in November 2025, reporting the waves were caused by the typhoon.

The event shown in the video was not a tsunami in NTT, but rather the aftermath of Super Typhoon Fung-wong in Aurora Province, Philippines.

— TempoThe conclusion of the fact-checking investigation.

On August 15, 2026, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake did strike NTT, with its epicenter located at sea. The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) issued a tsunami warning for potential waves ranging from 0.5 to 3 meters in four specific areas. However, monitoring confirmed only minor tsunami waves, less than one meter, at ten coastal locations. The BMKG officially lifted the tsunami warning by 7:30 a.m. WIB on the same day.

The BMKG officially lifted the tsunami early warning at 7:30 a.m. WIB.

— BMKGInformation regarding the duration and lifting of the tsunami warning after the NTT earthquake.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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