Metro Manila, Philippines – The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) warned on Saturday the continuous activities at the summit crater of Kanlaon Volcano may lead to an eruptive unrest and raise the alert level hoisted over the area.
In an advisory, Phivolcs said ash emission events continue to increase over the volcano’s summit.
The volcano located on Negros island last erupted in June 2024.
“The latest episode occurred this morning between 05:46 AM to 07:02 AM and persisted for one hour and sixteen minutes based on visual observations. The event generated light-gray plumes that rose 750 meters above the crater before drifting southwest,” the agency said.
“Volcanic SO2 (sulfur dioxide) emission from the summit crater of Kanlaon based on campaign Flyspec measurements yesterday, November 8, 2024, averaged 4,701 tons/day. Kanlaon has been persistently degassing high concentrations of volcanic SO2 with a current average rate of 4,299 tonnes/day since the June 3 2024 eruption,” it added.
Phivolcs said traces of ash were reported in four areas, while sulfurous fumes were also recorded in two villages.
Kanlaon Volcano is currently under Alert Level 2 where people are banned from entering the 4 to 5 kilometer-radius permanent danger zone.
“Communities living beside river systems on the southern and western slopes, especially those that have already experienced lahars and muddy streamflows, are advised to take precautionary measures when heavy rainfall over the volcano has been forecast or has begun,” the agency said.
