Residents caught off guard by Kanlaon eruption

What began as a calm and sunny Monday afternoon for residents of Negros  Island and nearby provinces was abruptly disrupted when Mount Kanlaon erupted at 3:03 p.m.

A report by Jun Veneracion on 24 Oras detailed how the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology  (PHIVOLCS) observed a dark, voluminous plume rising 3,000 meters from the volcano’s vent.

The sudden eruption startled locals, with one resident exclaiming in a video shared with GMA Integrated News, "Isang putok lang! Grabe!"

(It just took one explosion!)

Shaken by the experience, the same resident added, “Nanginginig ako.”

(I’m shaking right now.)

In another video, the massive ash cloud could be seen expanding further.

Communities in Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental, and even as far as Toledo City,  Cebu, reported witnessing the ominous dark cloud.

PHIVOLCS raised Alert Level 3 on Mount Kanlaon following the eruption,  indicating magmatic unrest.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) estimated that the eruption could affect approximately 12,000 families or 54,000  individuals in Western and Central Visayas.

Evacuations were swiftly initiated for residents within the six-kilometer radius of the volcano's danger zone. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/DVM, GMA Integrated News