Manipulated old clip of Indonesia volcano falsely shared as recent

Indonesia's Mount Semeru saw a surge in volcanic activity in September 2026, but footage circulating online supposedly depicting a recent blast is a manipulated version of a nearly year-old clip. The original video shows a major eruption of Java island's highest peak in November 2025; an analysis found errors suggesting AI tools were used to make the visual more dramatic.

"The status of Mount Semeru's activity today, Saturday, September 12, 2026," reads part of an Indonesian-language TikTok post shared the same day.

"Breaking News. Mount Semeru erupted 29 times in 6 hours. People were prohibited from doing activities within a 5 km radius," reads the video's overlaid text.

The video shows a roadside recording of a volcano emitting fiery explosions and spewing a thick wall of ash into the air.

A person speaking in Javanese can be heard saying, "Don't panic, don't panic, don't be confused."

The video was also shared on X and Facebook with similar claims after Mount Semeru spewed ash 1,000 metres (3,280 feet) above its peak on September 6 ( archived link ).

Authorities raised the alert status to level III, the second-highest level, and people were advised against any activities within a 13-kilometre (eight-mile) radius, the state-run Antara news agency reported.

As of September 16, Semeru remained at level III, according to the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry ( archived link ).

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire , where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions ( archived link ).

Mount Anak Krakatau erupted in early September, forcing the main airport serving the capital Jakarta to close ( archived link ).

In late August, increasing volcanic activity at Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra province led to the evacuation of hundreds of people ( archived link ).

However, the circulating video does not show a recent eruption.

A reverse image search on Google led to a similar clip shared on TikTok on November 19, 2025 by an account that frequently shares videos about the volcano (archived here and here ).

"Semeru had a major eruption today," the caption reads.

A man can be heard speaking in Indonesian: "Semeru eruption on November 19, 2025, at 16.00 past 9 minutes. Stay alert."

An AFP video taken during the November 2025 eruption shows a similar white plume rising into the sky ( archived link ). At least 300 people were evacuated at the time, according to Indonesia's National Disaster Agency.

The clip shared in the false posts also matches Google Maps street imagery of a small shop on a street near Mount Semeru ( archived link ).

Moreover, an analysis of the circulating video found several visual elements had been added or changed.

These include the fiery explosions not found in the original clip, as well as the presence of additional scooters fleeing the volcano and a Toyota logo that has been changed to an unknown brand.

The Hive Moderation detection tool found that the video was 94.2% likely to have been generated using AI ( archived link ).

AFP has debunked more misinformation related to Indonesia's volcanoes .