DAVAO CITY (30 July 2025) – A video posted by 94.9 MHz Lucky Radio Bayugan showing massive tsunami waves hitting a beachfront area has gone viral on Facebook, with numerous concerned citizens sharing the post. The video, captioned “NAGHAGUROS NGA TSUNAMI, MIIGO SA USA KA ISLA SA PASIPIKO” (“Raging tsunami hits an island in the Pacific”), was uploaded around noon today, July 30, and has since gained over 762k views, 3.9k reactions, and 9.6k shares as of 6:30 PM.
The video is fake and has no connection to any recent tsunami activity in the Philippines. It spread rapidly across Facebook, especially amid growing public anxiety following the issuance of tsunami alerts for several Pacific-facing provinces in the country. However, the clip used by the station is not from the Philippines and not from 2025.
The footage was originally uploaded eight years ago on YouTube by the Sun Newspapers with the title “Durban beach closed due to high waves DRAMATIC AERIAL VIDEO.” It features strong wave surges battering the coast of Durban Beach in South Africa, taken during a period of severe ocean swells that prompted local authorities to close beaches as a precaution. Durban lies on the eastern coast of Africa along the Indian Ocean and is geographically and tectonically unrelated to the Pacific Ring of Fire. Therefore, the claim in the caption that a tsunami hit an island in the Pacific is inaccurate in time, place, and geography.
Earlier today around 9:30 AM, July 30, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) issued a tsunami information advisory following a magnitude 8.7 earthquake off the coast of Kamchatka, Russia. The advisory warned of possible minor sea-level changes (less than one meter) in coastal provinces facing the Pacific Ocean, including several areas in Mindanao. These changes were described as non-destructive and expected between 1:20 PM and 2:40 PM. However, around 4:40 PM, PHIVOLCS released its notice of cancellation for the tsunami advisory. As of this writing, no official agency in the Philippines has reported any coastal damage, casualties, or infrastructure impact from the Kamchatka quake.
To verify the clip, MindaNews conducted a reverse image search and used the InVID forensic tool for video verification. The analysis confirmed that the footage originated in Durban, South Africa, and was first uploaded on YouTube in 2017. Landmarks such as the beachfront promenade, wave barriers, and surrounding infrastructure further confirm that the location is not in the Pacific, and certainly not in the Philippines.
This video has been recycled multiple times in recent years, often resurfacing during disasters or tsunami warnings to provoke alarm. The false caption used by Lucky Radio Bayugan added to confusion and fear among residents, especially in coastal communities monitoring official bulletins. Posting such content during an ongoing alert is irresponsible and contributes to disinformation.
MindaNews is a verified signatory to the Code of Principles of the International Fact-Checking Network. (Allizah Keziah Manulat / MindaNews)
