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Shocking images of the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano off the coast of the Tonga Islands have been flooding social networks since January 15. But several fake videos have crept in among the authentic footage, coming from near the Kampar River in Indonesia.
A tsunami caused by a powerful eruption of an underwater volcano in Tonga, an archipelago of islands in the south Pacific, has caused widespread damage. There have been no casualties, according to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
Photos and videos have been circulating widely on social media, showing the eruption and its consequences.
However, we’ve spotted a few fake posts that have been shared with the hashtags #TongaVolcano or #PrayforTonga.
We verified them with the InVid WeVerify tool (click here to find out how) to see where they really came from.
A boxer washed away… in Indonesia
The first surprising video: A man punches a tree while a woman films him. Suddenly, he’s caught up in a wave that comes out of nowhere. The post was shared on Twitter by a user claiming to be an Indian journalist. It was viewed over 1.5 million times and also reposted on Facebook.
A reverse image search using InVid WeVerify finds the video on YouTube. It was posted on December 6, 2021, and shows the “bono” phenomenon, or a tidal bore, when a strong tide pushes against a river’s current to form a wave.
In the post’s comments, the person who took the video explained that it was filmed at Ogis Beach, in Teluk Meranti, Indonesia.
Using selfie sticks to escape the waves
Two similar videos were also…
Source : france24
