A volcano erupted in the central Philippines on Monday spewing a column of ashes up to 3,000 metres (1.86 miles) in the sky and prompting an evacuation in the vicinity, the country’s seismology agency said.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said in an advisory it had raised its alert level to its third highest level.
“An explosive eruption occurred at the summit vent of Kanlaon Volcano at 3:03 pm (0703 GMT) today,”the institute said in a statement. It added that the plume rose to 3,000 metres above the vent, with red-hot ashes and other materials also falling on its southeastern slope.
Explosive Eruptions
The activity means “magmatic eruption has begun that may progress to further explosive eruptions.”
The Kanlaon volcano is located in the central provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental.
“This means magmatic eruption has begun that may progress to further explosive eruption,” Phivolcs said in an advisory.
The seismology agency had advised local governments to evacuate people living near the volcano and brace for further evacuations if warranted.
Ring Of Fire
Mt. Kanlaon is one of the two dozen active volcanoes in the Philippines, which is in the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common.
Emergency evacuations are underway for residents near Mount Kanlaon as authorities prepare for the possibility of raising the alert level, which could lead to broader safety measures, according to the civil defense office. While no specific numbers were disclosed, up to 54,000 people could be affected by the eruption.
Flights near the volcano are operating as normal, though aviation authorities have advised pilots to steer clear of the area. Mount Kanlaon, located on Negros Island, is in a region known for its sugarcane production. The volcano last caused evacuations in September when it released significant amounts of toxic gases in a single day.
(with inputs from Reuters)
