Video from 2018 shared as recent footage of the Mount Merapi volcano eruption.

The viral video dates back to February 2018 and shows the eruption of Mount Sinabung in Indonesia

At least 23 people are thought to have been killed after Indonesia’s Mount Merapi volcano erupted twice in two days. Eleven people were initially confirmed dead after the initial eruption on  3 December as 50 climbers were rescued. According to BBC, the volcano spewed a 3km ash cloud over several surrounding villages, stranding and injuring 75 hikers who were in the area during the eruption. In this scenario a video showing the fated eruption has gone viral on social media with the claim that it shows the eruption of Mount Merapi. The video shows gigantic clouds of smoke ascending into the sky and people running for their lives.

The caption reads “Indonesia: Mount Merapi erupted few hours ago – 11 hikers perished in the blast. #Indonesia #Volcano #Merapi #MountMerapi #Eruption

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Fact Check-

We started our investigation by running a reverse image and keyword search on Google, whose results led us to a similar video shared on Twitter on February 19, 2018. The Indonesian language post claimed that the visuals were from an eruption in Mount Sinabung, another active volcanic mountain in Indonesia.

The same video was also shared by the Jakarta-based news outlet Radio Elshinta on X on February 19, 2018. Radio Elshinta’s post also mentioned that the eruption took place on Mount Sinabung.

The Guardian reported about the eruption of Mount Sinabung on 20 February, 2018, According to the report, “Mount Sinabung located about 1,900km northwest of Jakarta, and stated that it was the largest eruption of that year.The cloud of ashes turned day into night in five nearby districts”.

Indonesia is frequently affected by volcanic eruptions since it is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire. On March 11, 2023, Indonesia’s Mount Merapi erupted, covering nearby villages in smoke and ash and pushing authorities to cease mining and tourism operations on the volcano’s slopes.

 From these evidences, it is clear that an old video from the Mount Sinabung eruption was falsely shared as an incident in Mount Merapi.

Conclusion-

Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the viral video to be Misleading.  The viral video dates back to February 2018 and shows a volcanic eruption that hit Mount Sinabung in Indonesia. It is not related to the recent eruption in Mount Merapi.