• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has raised the possibility that the alert status of Kanlaon Volcano may be raised, from Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 3, should an explosive eruption recur in the next few days, or become more frequent.
The March 15 moderately explosive eruption was preceded by two similar eruptions on Feb. 19 and 26, with ash emissions lasting for almost four hours on its recent activity.
Either an ashfall or sulfur stench were felt in at least 11 local government units while the eruption also sparked a fire in woods and grasslands located within the volcano’s danger zone.
About 126,572 learners in Negros Island Region were affected by the disruption of classes, following the moderately explosive eruption on March 15, according to the Department of Education (DepEd).
DepEd said 258 public schools in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental as well as in Himamaylan City and San Carlos City in Negros Occidental have shifted to flexible learning modalities.
In an advisory on March 18, Phivolcs said the March 15 eruption, which sustained an increase in the frequency of explosive eruption at Kanlaon, could promote activity of intruding magma at depth that could facilitate the onset of fully “magmatic eruption”.
“Such an event could produce dangerous volcanic hazards within the lava and pyroclastic density current hazard zones of the volcano, disperse large volumes of airborne ash over the Central Visayas region and produce material that could feed major life-threatening lahars in channels draining the edifice,” it warned.
Phivolcs has strongly recommended that communities within the four-kilometer permanent danger zone remain evacuated due to chances of explosive eruptions.
“Those within the six-kilometer radius should prepare for subsequent evacuation in case unrest escalates, and Alert Level 3 is raised,” Phivolcs further said. | GB
