Viral video compilation of recent volcanic eruption in the Philippines

WHAT HAPPENED

In May 2026, nearly 200,000 people across 124 villages in the Philippines were affected by heavy ashfall from Mayon Volcano. According to the Associated Press, the ash clouds were caused not by an explosive eruption but by the collapse of lava deposits on the volcano’s slope, which triggered pyroclastic flows of hot rocks, ash and gas.

More than 5,400 residents were evacuated to emergency shelters, while ashfall damaged crops, killed livestock and reduced visibility on roads. No deaths or injuries were reported.

Since early June, a compilation of videos has been shared on X, claiming to show visuals of a volcanic eruption in the Philippines. People can be seen running amok in the clip as massive plumes of grey smoke and dust rise in the air.

One user who shared the compilation on X wrote in the caption: “People’s escape and panic after volcano eruption in the Philippines.” Soon, other users also posted the same video with similar captions, as can be seen here, here, here, and here.

WHAT WE KNOW

The viral video circulating online is a compilation of multiple volcanic eruption visuals from different locations. To confirm if they were actually from the Philippines, the iVerify Pakistan team conducted reverse image searches on key frames from the clip circulating online.

The search for the first visual yielded a video published on YouTube by The Telegraph on August 21, 2024, titled: “Moment climbers run for their lives as volcano erupts in Indonesia.”

According to the video’s description, climbers were seen running down the slopes of Mount Dukono in North Halmahera, Indonesia, after the volcano erupted. Despite warnings from Indonesian authorities, several climbers had entered the hazardous area, the description added.

A comparison confirmed that the footage matched the first clip used in the viral compilation.

The same video was also shared by UK-based news outlet Independent TV in August 2024.

A reverse image search on another visual of the viral video yielded a Facebook post dated December 3, 2025. The post was captioned: “Some notable volcanic regions include the Pacific Ring of Fire and the Mid-Atlantic region.”

The same visual appeared in the viral compilation, proving that the clip had been online since at least December 2025 and has no connection with the Philippines.

Investigation on the third visual yielded a TikTok video posted on April 7, 2024, by an account named “China Travel”. The video was captioned: “The spectacular and amazing volcanic lava is so strong that it widens the eyes.”

The footage contained the same lava-flow scene featured in the viral video, indicating that it did not show visuals from the Philippines.

A reverse image search of another frame from the compilation yielded an X post dated January 12, 2026, captioned: “Breaking: Episode 40 of Kilauea’s ongoing eruption has begun.” The visuals matched those used in the viral video.

The same footage was also found on the Storyblocks.com website — an online depository for stock footage, audio, images, and templates for creators — confirming that the clip had been available online since Jan 2026.

These findings confirm that the viral video does not show recent volcanic activity in the Philippines.

Moreover, a keyword search to corroborate if a recent volcanic eruption — particularly in June — had taken place in the Philippines did not yield any results from international or local media outlets.

CONCLUSION

It is false to say that a viral video featuring compilations of volcano activity is from the Philippines. Instead, it is a compilation of old footage from different locations

EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES:

August 21, 2024, The Telegraph YouTube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CD2FDpDlm4

December 3, 2025, Facebook post:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/549915522684303/posts/1598354944507017/

April 7, 2024, TikTok video:

https://www.tiktok.com/@dulich2345/video/7354972713171029291?_r=1&_t=ZS-97JDU91aKGG

January 12, 2o26, X post:

https://x.com/volcaholic1/status/2010788049488314537

This article is part of an iVerify initiative tackling myths and disinformation around climate, supported by Irada and IMS