Kanlaon Volcano erupts anew

(UPDATE) KANLAON Volcano erupted early Tuesday morning in Negros Island Region which only lasted for five minutes, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

Described as a "moderate explosion," the event took place around 2:55 a.m. which generated a grayish voluminous plume that rose approximately 3 kilometers above the vent before drifting to the general west, Phivolcs said.

This screen grab shows the IP camera footage of the eruption on May 13, 2025 at Kanlaon Volcano captured by the Upper Pantao Observation Station (VKUP) in Canlaon City. SCREEN GRAB/ PHILVOLCS

Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol said audible rumbling sounds of the eruption were reported in Barangay Pula, Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, and La Castellana, Negros Occidental.

Incandescent pyroclastic density currents, or PDCs, descended the southern slopes within approximately 2 kilometers of the crater based on visual and thermal camera monitoring, he said.

"Large ballistic fragments were also observed to have been thrown around the crater within a few hundred meters and caused burning of vegetation near the volcano summit," the Phivolcs chief said.

Several villages including Barangay Yubo and Barangay Ara-al in La Carlota City, and Barangay Ilijan and Barangay Binubuhan in Bago City had experienced thin ashfall.

Phivolcs said the Negros volcano is currently under Alert Level 3, which means that it is in a state of magmatic unrest, with currently increased chances of short-lived moderately explosive eruptions that could generate life-threatening volcanic hazards.

Bacolcol said the agency has recommended that communities within a 6-kilometer radius from the summit crater remain evacuated due to the danger of PDCs, ballistic projectiles, ashfall, rockfall and other related hazards.

Kanlaon, one of the 24 active volcanoes in the country, has had several eruptions in the past century, the most recent of which happened last month. It also erupted in December 2024 that forced residents inside the permanent danger zone to evacuate.