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Science & Tech703 outlets ran this3 min read

Anak Krakatau volcano erupts, spewing ash and causing booms

Indonesian authorities issue alert level III and prohibit access within a 3km radius of the volcano.

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published Updated
El Krakatoa en erupción, en una imagen de archivoGetty / Oystein lund andersen

What this story says

  • The Anak Krakatau volcano erupted on September 4-5, 2026, producing an explosive event observed by satellite.
  • An ash column reached approximately 14km to 15km high, though one report stated 400m.
  • Loud booms were heard up to 150km away, and Indonesian authorities issued an Alert Level III, banning access within a 3km radius.
  • Reports vary on the number of eruptions, with some stating one, others six, and one citing at least ten.

Who covered it

Left 32%(99)Centre 39%(123)Right 29%(90)

Percentages are shares of the 312 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 391 of the 703 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

74/100

Craft

46/100

Hype

15/100

703 sources · methodology

The Anak Krakatau volcano erupted explosively on September 4-5, 2026. The event was observed by the Himawari-9 satellite and generated an ash column. Indonesian authorities placed the volcano under Alert Level III and prohibited access within a 3-kilometre radius.

Disagreement on eruption height and number

Reports differ on the height of the ash column produced by the eruption. La Vanguardia and The Watchers reported it at about 14km and 15km respectively, while NHK World stated 400m. The number of eruptions also varies, with La Vanguardia mentioning a single strong eruption, tempo reporting six, and liputan6 citing at least ten.

What the coverage left out

None of the left-rated digests mention the report by the Geological Agency stating there is no potential for a collapse large enough to trigger a tsunami, which was included in a right-rated digest.

Tags:#AnakKrakatau#Volcano#Indonesia#NaturalDisaster#AsiaPacific

Coverage settled. We checked this 8 times and stopped on 10 Sept 2026, 19:01. The figures above are what it finished at.

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

99 rated outlets

  • The left‑rated outlets reported that Anak Krakatau erupted, sending ash and rock into the atmosphere and prompting the suspension of flights at Jakarta’s Soekarno‑Hatta International Airport. CNN noted that schools and fishing activities were also halted. tempo.co recorded six separate eruptions. Indian Express and La Vanguardia both mentioned a Level III alert and an exclusion zone around the crater.
  • La Vanguardia’s full article described the event as a strong explosive eruption that produced a plume reaching roughly 14 kilometres and generated noises audible up to 150 kilometres. It reported that Indonesian authorities kept the volcano at Level III, established a five‑kilometre exclusion zone, and urged residents and tourists to stay away from the active crater.
  • The digests did not include any estimate of economic loss, casualty figures, or details about international assistance. Apart from SMH’s note of four Qantas services, none listed specific airlines or the total number of flights cancelled. No outlet provided a timeline beyond the initial eruption, nor quoted eyewitnesss or scientific experts.

Centre

123 rated outlets

  • Centre-rated reports focused on the eruption event and the alert status. El Periódico mentioned the volcano's history of causing a tsunami in 2018 and noted the alert level and a 3km radius prohibition. Bne IntelliNews stated the eruption spanned from late Friday into early Saturday.

Right

90 rated outlets

  • Right-rated reports led on the eruption and its immediate effects, with several mentioning the sounds heard and the ash. Anadolu Ajansı stated there was no potential for a tsunami-triggering collapse. Free Malaysia Today News reported booming and rumbling sounds and lava-fountaining activity. NHK World and Thairath reported Japan checking for tsunami threats. Liputan6 cited at least ten eruptions, and Tribunnews noted that windows vibrated in Bandung due to loud bangs.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Anak Krakatau volcano erupts, spewing ash and causing booms?
Of the 312 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 32% are rated left, 39% are rated centre, 29% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 703. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is Anak Krakatau volcano erupts, spewing ash and causing booms left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 312 rated outlets on this story, 32% are rated left, 39% are rated centre, 29% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of Anak Krakatau volcano erupts, spewing ash and causing booms biased?
Anak Krakatau volcano erupts, spewing ash and causing booms is one event reported by 703 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which outlets covered Anak Krakatau volcano erupts, spewing ash and causing booms?
703 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
When did the Anak Krakatau volcano erupt?
The Anak Krakatau volcano erupted explosively on September 4-5, 2026. The event was observed by the Himawari-9 satellite and generated an ash column.
How high was the ash column from the eruption?
Reports differ on the height of the ash column. La Vanguardia and The Watchers reported it at about 14km and 15km respectively, while NHK World stated 400m.
What measures did Indonesian authorities take?
Indonesian authorities placed the volcano under Alert Level III and prohibited access within a 3-kilometre radius around the crater. They also urged residents and tourists to stay away.
Were there any reports of tsunamis?
While some reports mentioned Japan checking for tsunami threats, the Geological Agency stated there was no potential for a collapse large enough to trigger a tsunami. No actual tsunami was reported.

Read it at the source

704 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

99
Show 91 more

Centre

123
Show 115 more

Right

90
Show 82 more

Not rated

392
Show 384 more

How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

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Anak Krakatau Volcano Erupts | MediaBias News