A moderately explosive eruption occurred at the summit crater of Kanlaon Volcano at 2:55 a.m. Tuesday, May 13, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.
The eruption lasted for five minutes based on seismic and infrasound data.
The eruption generated a greyish voluminous plume that rose at least four kilometers above the vent before drifting to the general west, Phivolcs said.
Audible rumbling sounds of the eruption were reported in Brgy. Pula, Canlaon City, Negros Oriental and La Castellana, Negros Occidental.
Incandescent pyroclastic density currents or PDCs descended the southern slopes within approximately two kilometers of the crater based on visual and thermal camera monitoring, Phivolcs said.
Large ballistic fragments were also observed to have been thrown around the crater within a few hundred meters and caused burning of vegetation near the volcano summit, it said.
Thin ashfall has been reported in the following localities of Negros Occidental: La Carlota City– Brgys. Yubo and Ara-al; Bago City– Brgys. Ilijan and Binubuhan, and; La Castellana– Brgys. Biak-na-Bato, Sag-ang, and Mansalanao, it added.
Alert Level 3 (magmatic unrest) prevails over Kanlaon, which means that the volcano is in a state of magmatic unrest, with currently increased chances of short-lived moderately explosive eruptions that could generate life-threatening volcanic hazards.*