Kanlaon Volcano erupts; Alert Level 3 raised

The Kanlaon Volcano in Negros province had an explosive eruption on Monday afternoon, prompting the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) to raise its status to Alert Level 3.

PHIVOLCS said the eruption at the summit vent of Kanlaon Volcano occurred at 3:03 p.m. It produced a voluminous plume that rose to 3,000 meters above the vent and drifted west-southwest.

LOOK: Photos of Kanlaon eruption

“Pyroclastic density currents or PDCs descended the slopes on the general southeastern edifice based on IP and thermal camera monitors,” PHIVOLCS said.

With this, Alert Level 3 (magmatic unrest) has been hoisted over Kanlaon Volcano from the previous Alert Level 2 (increasing unrest).

“This means magmatic eruption has begun that may progress to further explosive eruptions,” PHIVOLCS added.

In a later update, PHIVOLCS director Teresito Bacolcol said the entire eruption lasted for seven minutes from 3:03 p.m. to 3:10 p.m., and the plume emission reached as far as 4 kilometers.

Since the plumes drifted to the western and southwestern side of the volcano, he said the cities of Bago and La Carlota, as well as the municipalities of La Castellana, Moises Padilla, and Isabela in Negros Occidental could be affected by the ash fall.

All local government units were thus advised to evacuate the six kilometer radius from the summit of the volcano and prepare for possible additional evacuation.

“We would expect lahars kaya nga paalala natin sa ating kababayan, kapag nakatira malapit sa sa ilog na nanggaling pa sa dalisdis ng bulkan ay mag ingat sila baka magkaroon ng lahar,” Bacolcol said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(We’re expecting lahars, so we’re reminding our countrymen who live near the river along the slope of the volcano to be careful.)

PHIVOLCS Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division chief Mariton Bornas said that the eruption was only “brief but strong.”

“Sa kasalukuyan ay tumigil ang eruption. Isa po siyang malakas but a brief explosive eruption,” she said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(The eruption has currently stopped. It was a strong but brief explosive eruption.)

Earlier this morning, PHIVOLCS said Kanlaon Volcano had six volcanic earthquakes and had a 16-minute long ash emission event.

It also released 4,638 tonnes of sulfur dioxide on Sunday, as well as a moderate 300-meter tall plume. 

Alert Level 2 was raised at Kanlaon Volcano due to an “increased unrest” following its explosive eruption on June 3.—AOL/RF, GMA Integrated News