PAF deploys helicopters for aid, assessing Kanlaon eruption damage

Mt. Kanlaon viewed the PAF Black Hawk Helicopter during the aerial survey conducted on Thursday, December 12, 2024. (Photo courtesy of PAF)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has deployed two helicopters to deliver aid to communities affected by Kanlaon Volcano’s eruption last Monday and to assess the damage it caused over Negros Occidental.

“The said helicopters will also be utilized for the airlift of volumes of relief goods intended for the affected communities,” the PAF said in a statement on Thursday.

READ: Mt. Kanlaon calms down

The Air Force said two S70i Black Hawk helicopters were deployed to the province to conduct rapid damage assessment and need analysis (RDANA) through an aerial survey and gather critical data on potential hazards following Kanlaon’s recent eruption.

“Aboard the helicopters were experts from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, and officials from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental, and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Regions 6 and 7,” the PAF said.

“The inter-agency team utilized the aerial platforms to gain a comprehensive overview of the situation and identify areas requiring immediate attention. The flight mission, which started at 8:29 in the morning, lasted for almost an hour,” it added.

Last December 9, the Kanlaon Volcano erupted, prompting the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology to raise the alert level in the area to 3, which indicates “magmatic unrest.”

The volcano covers 24,557.60 hectares of land area with rainforests and verdant vegetation. It last erupted on June 3 and has been in unrest since then.

On December 9, the OCD reported around 87,000 individuals affected by Mt. Kanlaon’s eruption would be evacuated.