A powerful eruption shook the central Philippines on Monday, as the Kanlaon Volcano sent a towering ash column soaring into the sky. The government swiftly ordered the evacuation of nearby villages in response to the unfolding crisis.
Kanlaon, one of the Philippines’ 24 active volcanoes, rises over 2,400 meters (8,000 feet) on the central island of Negros. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology confirmed the explosive eruption occurred at 3:03 p.m. local time.
Authorities advised local governments to evacuate residents within a six-kilometer (four-mile) radius of the summit and prepare for possible further evacuations as volcanic activity escalates.
Evacuations are currently underway in four upland villages in La Castellana, located on the volcano’s southwest slope. Municipal police officer Staff Sergeant Ronel Arevalo reported that efforts to relocate residents are ongoing, but he could not provide the total number of individuals affected.
Dianne Paula Abendan, a 24-year-old resident of La Castellana, captured the eruption on her mobile phone, showing a massive, cauliflower-shaped plume of smoke billowing from the crater. “We’ve seen black smoke rising from the volcano these past few days and expected it to erupt any moment,” she said.
While residents rushed home to await evacuation orders, Abendan noted a slight decrease in volcanic activity about an hour later. The seismology office reported that the ash plume reached 3,000 meters above the vent, with red-hot debris falling on the southeastern slope of the volcano.
This eruption marks the beginning of magmatic activity, which could lead to more explosive eruptions in the near future. In September, hundreds of residents were evacuated after the volcano released thousands of tons of harmful gases in a single day.
Kanlaon has a long history of eruptions, with more than 40 recorded since 1866. The volcano’s destructive potential was tragically underscored in 1996 when three hikers lost their lives due to ash ejection.
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