Phivolcs renews warning of Kanlaon's 'hazardous eruption'
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Friday renewed its warning over Kanlaon Volcano's possible «hazardous eruption.»
Phivolcs Director Teresito «Toto» Bacolcol, at the same time, reminded the concerned local government units (LGUs) to make sure that no one entered the six-kilometer radius permanent danger zone (PDZ) around the Negros Islands volcano.
The risks of landslides, rockfalls, sudden hazardous eruptions, pyroclastic flows, and volcanic gas exposure remain high within the danger zone, Phivolcs stressed.
«Kanlaon Volcano remains under Alert Level 3, which means it is still at a high level of unrest and the possibility of a hazardous eruption remains,» Bacolcol told The Manila Times in a Viber interview.
«The possibility of raising the Alert Level from 3 to 4 is still there,» he added.
Citing its monitoring parameters for the past 24 hours, Bacolcol said some nine volcanic earthquakes have been recorded while sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission was measured at 3, 385 tons/day.
There were three ash emission events that occurred that lasted from 17 to 98 minutes long and with plumes reaching up to 100 meters above its main crater, the Phivolcs chief said.
AdvertisementAsked if the parameters were increasing that would warrant a higher alert status, he said it remained in «a fluctuating mood.»
He, however, did not discount the possibility of elevating the alert level in the coming days.
«If the signs indicate a higher likelihood of an eruption, we will immediately raise the alert level to warn local governments and the public,» Bacolcol said.