Geological Agency confirms viral Mount Anak Krakatau eruption video is hoax

Indonesia's Geological Agency has debunked a viral video circulating on social media, which falsely claimed to show an eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau. The agency confirmed that the video is a hoax and does not represent the volcano's current activity.

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After verification, the video is not a recording of the Mount Anak Krakatau eruption that is currently happening, so this information is a hoax or untrue.

Lana Saria, the acting head of the Geological Agency, urged the public not to believe or spread unverified information. She emphasized that all official updates regarding Mount Anak Krakatau's activity are disseminated exclusively through the agency's official channels, including the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) and MAGMA Indonesia.

While the viral video is false, Mount Anak Krakatau is indeed exhibiting low-energy magmatic activity. The volcano in the Sunda Strait has experienced two eruptions since July 2, 2026. The first occurred at 2:05 p.m. WIB, with an ash column approximately 200 meters above the summit, extending west-northwest. A second eruption followed on July 3, 2026, at 11:50 a.m. WIB, also producing an ash column around 200 meters high, with ash columns colored gray to brown and directed west and northwest.

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The public is urged not to easily believe or spread videos or information that has not been verified. All official information regarding the activity of Mount Anak Krakatau is only conveyed through the official channels of the Geological Agency, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG), and MAGMA Indonesia.

The agency also clarified misinformation regarding the recommended hazard radius. Contrary to reports suggesting a 5-kilometer danger zone, the current official recommendation maintains a 3-kilometer exclusion zone around the eruption's center. Residents in coastal areas of Banten and Lampung provinces are advised to remain calm and disregard rumors linking the volcano's activity to potential tsunamis, continuing their daily activities as directed by local authorities.

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The public is advised not to believe or spread videos that have not been verified. All official information regarding the activity of Mount Anak Krakatau is only conveyed through the official channels of the Geological Agency, PVMBG, and MAGMA Indonesia.