Kanlaon Volcano erupts; Phivolcs raises Alert Level 2

Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island erupts on Monday evening, June 3, producing a 5-km plume and prompting the Phivolcs to raise the volcano’s alert status to Level 2. | PHOTO: Ethan Asentista-Khoo

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported a phreatic eruption at Kanlaon Volcano on Monday night reaching 5,000 meters high.

According to Phivolcs in an advisory, the eruption occurred at Kanlaon’s summit vent at 6:51 p.m. and lasted for six minutes.

“The eruption produced a voluminous and incandescent plume that rapidly rose to 5,000 meters above the vent and probable short pyroclastic density currents or PDCs approximately 2-3 kilometers down the southern and southeastern slopes,” said Phivolcs.

Two volcanic earthquakes were then recorded after the eruption, with reports of coarse ashfall and sulfurous odors in communities on the western slopes of Kanlaon volcano.

Phivolcs said Kanlaon has been exhibiting above background earthquake activity for the past month and has been degassing relatively anomalous SO2, averaging approximately 1,273 tonnes per day in 2024.

Kanlaon Volcano on Alert Level 2

With the eruption, Phivolcs raised Alert Level 2, or increasing unrest in the Kanlaon Volcano.

“This means that there is current unrest driven by shallow magmatic processes that could eventually lead to further explosive eruptions or even precede hazardous magmatic eruption,” said Phivolcs.

The agency then advised the public to remain vigilant and avoid Kanlaon’s four-kilometer-radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) to minimize risks from sudden explosions, rockfall, and landslides.

READ: Phivolcs detects increased seismic activity in Kanlaon Volcano

In case of ash fall events, Phivolcs advised the affected public to cover their nose and mouth with a damp, clean cloth or dust mask.

“Civil aviation authorities must also advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as ash from any sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft,” said Phivolcs.

Residents said they saw fire coming out of the volcano and small stones being spewed.

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson is calling on the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office to be ready for blue alert where responders and uniformed personnel are prepositioned for deployment.

Before being placed under alert level 2, Kanlaon volcano has been on alert level 1 since March 2020. With reports from Carla Gomez, Inquirer Visayas