• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded nine ash emission activities of Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island between March 20 and 22, it said in an advisory over the weekend.
Phivolcs also logged 18 volcanic quakes, including 12 tremors, which lasted up to 306 minutes.
Alert Level 2 (increased unrest) remains hoisted over Kanlaon Volcano.
In an earlier advisory, Phivolcs said the March 15 eruption, which is the third within the span of a month, is a sustained increase in the frequency of explosive eruption that could promote activity of intruding magma at a depth that could facilitate the onset of fully “magmatic eruption.”
Communities within the four-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ) are advised to remain evacuated due to the chance of explosive eruptions.
Those residing within the six-kilometer radius should prepare for subsequent evacuation in case unrest escalates and Alert Level 3 is raised, Phivolcs said.
Should Alert Level 3 be declared, La Castellana Vice Mayor Alme Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan said that more than 4,000 families will be evacuated from the six-kilometer PDZ.
She said the ashfall that hit several barangays following the recent explosive eruptions is affecting the health of town residents.
“Our main problem is how to purify water as all our water sources, which originate from Kanlaon, are now contaminated with ashfall,” she added. | GB
