• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Ashfall hit 90 barangays of 11 local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental following the moderately explosive eruption of Kanlaon Volcano on Sunday, March 15.
The latest eruption marked the third of such activity this year, following similar eruptions on February 19 and 26.
Kanlaon Volcano remains under Alert Level 2, which indicates moderate unrest and the continued possibility of sudden eruptions, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
Ash accumulation was recorded across 90 barangays in the towns of Hinigaran, Isabela, Binalbagan, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, Pontevedra, Don Salvador Benedicto, Ilog, and the cities of Himamaylan, Kabankalan and San Carlos.
Sulfur fumes were also experienced by residents of Barangay Codcod in San Carlos City and Barangay Mailum in La Carlota City while two barangays reported both ash accumulation and sulfur odor, including Masulog in La Castellana and Odiong in Moises Padilla, according to the report of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).
All of Hinigaran’s 24 barangays were affected by the ashfall.
Classes were suspended in Binalbagan, Hinigaran, Isabela, Moises Padilla, Pontevedra, La Castellana and Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental and Canlaon City in Negros Oriental.
Seismic records indicated that the eruptive event started at 6:07 p.m. and persisted for about one minute.
It was followed by two ash emissions, the first lasted for three hours and 49 minutes, and the second emission lasted for three minutes.
The eruption triggered forest fire in upper barangays of Mananawin and Masulog, both in Canlaon City, which is located inside the four-kilometer permanent danger zone.
In Negros Occidental, the PDRRMO reported water interruption in La Castellana’s upper barangays due to ashfall affecting water sources. | GB
