The public has recently been stirred by the circulation of a short video showing a massive eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau at night. In the video, the volcano appears to spew incandescent material massively into the sky, recorded from the perspective of a ship in the middle of the waters. However, the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) confirmed that the visuals do not represent the eruption of the volcano located in the Sunda Strait.
After conducting an in-depth verification, the volcanological authority stated that the claims accompanying the video are a hoax. Although Mount Anak Krakatau was indeed recorded to have experienced minor eruptions on July 2 and July 3, 2026, the intensity and characteristics of the activity in the viral video do not match the actual conditions on the ground. The Geological Agency regretted the dissemination of this misleading information and urged the public to be wiser in consuming social media content.
In addition to clarifying the false video issue, the Geological Agency also corrected erroneous information regarding the danger radius. Currently, the designated safe zone is a 3-kilometer radius from the eruption center, not 5 kilometers as widely circulated among the public. Residents in the coastal areas of Banten and Lampung are urged to remain calm and not be provoked by rumors linking this eruption to a potential tsunami.
All official information regarding the volcanic activity of Mount Anak Krakatau is now centralized on official channels such as the MAGMA Indonesia website, the Geological Agency portal, and verified social media accounts of the PVMBG. The public, local governments, and related institutions are requested to continue monitoring the latest developments through these channels to obtain accurate and credible data, in order to avoid unnecessary panic among the public.
