(UPDATED) An old clip of a volcanic eruption in Iceland was posted as a Facebook (FB) reel and passed off as lava flows from Mayon Volcano in Albay.
First uploaded on TikTok, an FB netizen reposted the false video on June 23. It is a drone shot of lava flowing out of a volcano’s crater. The erroneous text in the video read: “Update Ni Mayon (Update on Mayon )..”
The video shows the Fagradalsfjall Volcano in Iceland erupting in April 2021, not Mayon during its current unrest.
Stock footage agency ImageBank4U uploaded the original clip in Adobe Stock with the caption:
“Flying Low close to Hot lava magma revealing Mount Fagradalsfjall, Iceland 4K Rare drone shot from Iceland of Hot lava and magma coming out of the crater, April 2021.”
ImageBank4U uploaded the same file video on its FB page and YouTube channel. The FB reel is a cropped version of the footage, with suspenseful music added.
Mount Fagradalsfjall erupted from March until mid-September 2021, making it the longest-recorded eruption in Iceland in over 50 years.
The false video circulated as Mayon Volcano continued its restless activity. The volcano was placed under Alert Level 3 on June 8 after small-volume pyroclastic density currents were generated from the summit lava dome. This signaled the start of Mayon’s effusive magmatic eruption.
Several netizens fell for the wrong video, prompting comments of prayers for those in danger. But many also called out the uploader for posting false information.
On July 4, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported an increase in Mayon Volcano’s level of seismic energy release. The agency strongly recommended that areas within the 6-kilometer-radius Permanent Danger Zone remain evacuated, while communities within the 7- and 8-kilometer range must be prepared in case the activity worsens.
VERA Files Fact Check previously debunked videos of Mayon Volcano’s previous eruptions passed off as recent. (Read Video of lava fountain in Mayon volcano is FROM 2018)
The FB reel has 14,800 reactions, 3,900 comments, 9,000 shares and 1,100,000 views as of writing. The TikTok video also garnered 159 reactions, 17 comments, 11 bookmarks, 8 shares and 1,408 views.
(Editor’s Note: This fact-check was updated on July 6, 2023 to correct the spelling of the Fagradalsfjall volcano. We thank the reader who brought the misspelling to our attention.)
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