BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – The alert over Mt. Kanlaon has been raised to Level 2 as the island’s active volcano erupted and spewed ash triggering the evacuation of people from some villages around the volcano.
State monitor Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) placed Kanlaon under the “increasing unrest” level after an “explosive eruption” around 7pm last night, 5 June 2024, that led to a column of ash snd gas that rose five kilometers above the vent.
The volcano’s last major explosion was on 10 August 1996 during which three hikers, one a British national were killed.
On the ground, residents in La Carlota City an hour’s drive south from here and in La Castellana town, an hour further south, reported feeling pebbles raining down on them and the smell of sulfur in the air.
Evacuation of residents were reported in Canlaon City in Negros Oriental and in La Carlota City and La Castellana and Moises Padilla towns in the Occidental side – some of the areas straddled by the volcano.
La Carlota Mayor Rex Jalandoon said over dyWB Bombo Radyo that the evacuations last night were part of preemptive measures as PHIVOLCS raised the alert level.
Here, residents in 20 villages facimg east and in the south reported sulfurous odor in the air since last night, the local disaster office reported.
The barangays affected were Sum-ag, Taculing, Mansilingan, Villamonte, Handumanan, Felisa, Cabug, Singcang-Airport, Alijis, Bata, Punta Taytay, 11, 27, 31, and 38, Estefania, Mandalagan, Tangub, Montevista, Alangilan, Pahanocoy, Vista Alegre, Banago and Granada
As this developed, the Bacolod City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office activated its emergency operation to blue alert status or placing its isaster response force on standby, ready to respond to emergencies caused by the ongoing volcanic activity of Kanlaon.
At Camp Montelibano, Captain Judesses Catalogo, spokesman of the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office, said all police personnel with search snd rescue training are now on alert.
The 79th Infantry Battalion, on the other hand, has also readied its Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response unit on standby.
