Phivolcs issues new Kanlaon warning

THE chief of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Friday renewed his warning over Kanlaon Volcano's possible "hazardous eruption."

Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol, at the same time, reminded the concerned local government units (LGUs) to make sure that no one enters into the six-kilometer radius permanent danger zone (PDZ) around the Negros Islands volcano.

The risks of landslides, rockfalls, sudden hazardous eruptions, pyroclastic flows, and volcanic gas exposure remain high within the danger zone, Phivolcs warned.

"Kanlaon Volcano remains under Alert Level 3, which means it is still at a high level of unrest and the possibility of a hazardous eruption remains," Bacolcol told The Manila Times in a Viber interview.

"The possibility of raising the alert level from 3 to 4 is still there," he added.

Citing its monitoring parameters for the past 24 hours, Bacolcol said some nine volcanic earthquakes have been recorded while sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission was measured at 3, 385 tons per day.

There were three ash emission events that occurred that lasted 17 to 98 minutes long and with plumes reaching up to 100 meters above its main crater, the Phivolcs chief said.

Asked if the parameters were increasing that would warrant a rise on its current alert status, he said it remained in "a fluctuating mood."

He, however, did not discount the possibility of elevating the alert level in the coming days.

"If the signs indicate a higher likelihood of an eruption, we will immediately raise the alert level to warn local governments and the public," Bacolcol said.