Philippines, Manila (AP) A volcano in the central Philippines abruptly erupted Tuesday, sending superhot streams of gas and debris flying down its western slopes along with a towering plume of ash, forcing around 87,000 people to escape.
Although there were no immediate casualties from the most recent eruption of Mount Kanlaon on central Negros island, the warning level was raised by one level, suggesting that more and more explosive eruptions could happen.
According to Teresito Bacolcol, the senior volcanologist for the Philippines, and other officials, volcanic ash covered a large area, including Antique province, more than 200 kilometers (124 miles) over seawaters west of the volcano, obstructing visibility and causing health dangers.
According to the Philippine Civil Aviation Authority, the eruption of Kanlaon caused the cancellation of at least six domestic flights, one of which was headed for Singapore, and two local planes to be diverted in the area on Monday and Tuesday.
Nearly 47,000 people need to be evacuated from a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) danger zone in La Castellana town in Negros Occidental, according to the Office of Civil Defense, as part of the urgent mass evacuations being conducted in towns and villages closest to the ash-covered western and southern slopes of Kanlaon.
By Tuesday morning, Rhumyla Mangilimutan, the mayor of the town, told The Associated Press over the phone that over 6,000 people had relocated to evacuation centers, excluding those who had temporarily fled to relatives’ homes in La Castellana.
Ahead of Christmas, which is typically a busy time for family get-togethers and holiday travel in the predominantly Roman Catholic country, disaster response forces were quickly setting up evacuation centers and obtaining supplies of food, hygiene packs, and face masks.
In the most vulnerable districts, authorities also implemented a curfew at night and closed schools.
The nearly four-minute eruption of the Kanlaon volcano on Monday afternoon, according to the Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, created a pyroclastic density current, a superhot jet of gas, ash, debris, and rocks that can burn anything in its path.
“It’s a one-time but major eruption,” Bacolcol told the AP, adding that volcanologists were determining whether Monday’s explosion was produced by rising magma from below or if it ejected old volcanic debris and rocks stuck in and near the top crater.
According to Bacolcol, there were not many volcanic earthquakes found prior to Monday’s eruption.
The third-highest alert level in a five-step warning system was set on Monday near Kanlaon, suggesting that a magmatic eruption may have started and could escalate into more explosive outbursts.
One of the 24 most active volcanoes in the nation, the 2,435-meter (7,988-foot) volcano last erupted in June, forcing hundreds of residents to seek cover in emergency shelters.
When Kanlaon suddenly erupted in 1996, authorities said that three hikers were killed close to the summit and that numerous more were eventually saved.
The Philippines, one of the nations most vulnerable to natural disasters, is situated in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an area that is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. It also experiences roughly 20 typhoons and storms year.
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