In the central Philippines, a volcano erupted on Monday (June 3rd), sending a column of ash up to 5,000 meters into the sky. The volcano monitoring agency, Phivolcs, has raised the alert level and urged people to stay away from the danger zone.
According to reports from the Philippine Star and Reuters, Kanlaon Volcano on Negros Island had an explosive eruption, prompting Phivolcs to raise the volcano alert level from 1 to 2 on Monday.
The agency stated, “Communities on the western slope of the volcano reported the presence of coarse ash fall and the smell of sulfur.”
Philippine seismologists reported that the volcano began erupting at 6:51 p.m. on Monday, following a “relatively strong volcanic tectonic earthquake.”
Phivolcs warned that the volcano could have further eruptions or magma explosions.
“This means that the current unrest is being driven by shallow magma processes that could lead to more explosive eruptions in the future or could manifest into hazardous magmatic eruption,” Phivolcs’ latest advisory mentioned.
Phivolcs also reported two weak volcanic earthquakes. The agency advised aviation authorities to advise pilots to avoid flying close to the summit of the volcano and recommended that people in communities wear dust masks or cover their noses and mouths with wet cloth to protect themselves from airborne ash.
Teresito Bacolcol, the head of the seismology agency, mentioned on Monday that there is a permanent danger zone extending up to four kilometers from the base of the volcano.
Though the agency advised people to steer clear of the danger zone, they have not recommended evacuations for nearby residents.
Kanlaon is one of over twenty active volcanoes in the Philippines. Bacolcol noted that the volcano’s last eruption was in December 2017.
The Philippines, located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, experiences frequent volcanic activity and earthquakes.