TikTok Astrologer Predicted an Earthquake that Never Came — and Now He Faces Charges

Myanmar authorities have arrested a popular TikTok astrologer who allegedly falsely predicted that the country would suffer a strong earthquake — spreading panic online. 

John Moe The, whose TikTok following numbers more than 30,000 people, predicted that on April 9 there would be a “very strong” earthquake that would hit “every city in Myanmar” in 12 days’ time, CBS reported, citing state media. 

“People should not stay in tall buildings during the day,” John Moe The wrote in the caption of the video, which was viewed 3.3 million times, the outlet reported. “Take important things with you and run away from buildings during the shaking,” he wrote. 

Last month’s earthquake that hit central Myanmar had more than 140 aftershocks, some as large as a 5.9 magnitude, killing at least 3,700 people and injured 4,800 more, according to the United Nations. 

“Frequent strong aftershocks continue to shake central Myanmar almost daily, increasing fear and uncertainty,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs wrote in a statement on April 18, adding that some people in Myanmar fear aftershocks could persist for months. 

The 21-year-old astrologer was arrested Tuesday in a morning raid at his home in central Monywa city, CBS reported, citing a statement by Myanmar’s military government. 

“We got a tip-off about fake news being spread through a TikTok account that a severe earthquake will hit,” the statement said, according to the outlet. “Action will be taken effectively against him according to the law. Likewise, we will also take action effectively against those who write or spread or share fake news.” 

In Myanmar, there’s a law that prohibits publishing fake news online through social media which can lead to prosecution, according to Article 19, a human rights organization, who wrote about the media law. 

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Nan Nan, a local resident in Yangon, the largest city of Myanmar, told AFP she did not believe the social media post when she saw it, but many neighbors had. 

“Most of my neighbors dared not to stay in their apartments and lived out on the street that day,” Nan said to the AFP. “My friend even hired a small house outside Yangon in preparation.”

On John Moe The’s TikTok, he predicts other weather disasters, the release of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi — who was arrested during the country’s 2021 coup d’etat — and American airstrikes on Myanmar’s soil, per CBS.

According to the United States Geological Survey, no scientists have ever predicted a major earthquake. They can only calculate the probability that a significant earthquake will occur in a specific area within a certain number of years, USGS wrote on their website.