Here’s an update about the Kanlaon Volcano as it erupted today, December 9.
KANLAON VOLCANO UPDATE – An explosive eruption occurred on Monday afternoon, December 9, and Alert Level 3 was raised.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported an explosive eruption that happened on Monday afternoon, December 9. Kanlaon Volcano produced “a voluminous plume that rapidly rose to 3,000 meters” from its summit vent. As posted, the eruption lasted seven minutes.
Phivolcs added that “pyroclastic density currents or PDCs descended the slopes on the general southeastern edifice”. PDCs are fragmented volcanic particles, gases, and ash that rapidly go down the slopes.
The eruption caused Kanlaon to raise from Alert Level 2 or increasing unrest to Alert Level 3, or magmatic unrest. As warned, this means a magmatic eruption has begun “that may progress to further explosive eruptions”.
As per the advisory, all local government units within a 6-kilometer-radius of the volcano must implement evacuation and added that if needed, the public “must be prepared for additional evacuation”.
As per posts from the local residents, roads are now covered by ash and an ash and rock fallout in Barangay Ilijan in Bago City has been reported. The erupting sound has reportedly reached Bacolod City which is a city hours away from it and the view of the eruption has reached Toledo, Cebu.
To recall, the volcano erupted on June 3 this year and has since been in a state of unrest.
Kanlaon is one of the several active volcanoes in the country. It straddles the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental and currently, this is the only volcano under Alert Level 3.
Mayon and Taal in Albay and Batangas, respectively, are under Alert Level 1 while Bulusan in Sorsogon and Pinatubo in Pampanga, Zambales, and Tarlac are both under Alert Level 0.
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