No, This Video of Lightning Striking a Volcano is NOT From Himachal Pradesh

Fact-check: A video of a Guatemala volcano getting struck by lightning is going viral with a false claim that it is from Himachal Pradesh.

(Photo: The Quint)

A compilation of videos showing a volcano getting struck by massive strikes of lightning is going viral on social media to claim that this scene is from a temple named 'Bijlee Mahadev' situated in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh.

An archive can be seen here.

(Source: X/Screenshot)

(Archives of similar claims can be seen here and here.)

What's the truth?: This video shows Volcán de Fuego, an active volcano in Guatemala getting struck by lightning.

How did we find out the truth?: We performed reverse image search on some of the keyframes of the viral video on Google.

• This led us to a video shared on YouTube by Diario AS, a Spanish news channel. This was uploaded on 7 May.

• The clip matched the viral video, and the title stated that it shows lightning striking the Fuego volcano in Guatemala.

• Taking a cue, we performed a Google keyword search using 'Fuego volcano Guatemala May 2024', which led us to several reports about this incident.

• Several media outlets, including Fox Weather, CBS News, ABC News and Metro News, carried the same visuals, at least the first video from the viral clip.

• The reports also stated that Volcán de Fuego (Volcano of Fire) in Guatemala is an active stratovolcano, and the video shows lightning striking it, which results in lava pouring out.

Conclusion: A video of a Guatemala volcano getting struck by lightning is going viral with a false claim that it shows Hindu deity Shiva's temple in Himachal Pradesh.

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