Alert Level 2 raised after Kanlaon eruption

(UPDATE) BACOLOD CITY — Mt. Kanlaon, an active volcano in Negros Island, erupted for six minutes Monday night, producing a 5,000-meter plume, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

Phivolcs raised Mt. Kanlaon's alert level from Alert Level 1 (abnormal) to Alert Level 2 (increasing unrest), which means «there is current unrest driven by shallow magmatic processes that could eventually lead to further explosive eruptions or even precede hazardous magmatic eruption.»

Phivolcs said the «eruption produced a voluminous and incandescent plume that rapidly rose to 5,000 meters above the vent and probable short pyroclastic density currents approximately two to three kilometers down the southern and southeastern slopes.»

The eruption was preceded by a relatively strong volcano-tectonic earthquake, the report further said.

Phivolcs said there have been reports of coarse ashfall and sulfurous odors in communities on the western slopes of the volcano.

" Phivolcs maintains close monitoring of Kanlaon Volcano, and any new development will be communicated to all concerned stakeholders," it added.

In Negros Occidental, local government units located near Mt. Kanlaon are La Castellana town and La Carlota City, which have communities at the foot of the volcano.

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Others with villages near the volcano include the cities of San Carlos and Bago and the towns of Moises Padilla and Murcia.

In an advisory, the La Castellana Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Office said it is preparing for possible escalation of the alert level of Mt. Kanlaon.

It also advised residents to wear face masks, especially those who have respiratory illnesses.

Evacuation ordered

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Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas of Canlaon City, Negros Oriental ordered the evacuation of residents in four villages following the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon on Monday night.

Residents of Barangay Masulog, Pula, Lumapao and Malaiba as well as their livestock, have to be evacuated immediately since these areas are in the permanent danger zone, Cardenas said.

The mayor added that he has mobilized all resources to ensure the safety of the people following the eruption of the volcano.

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