NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – Five local government units (LGUs) in the province were affected by ashfall following the eruption of Mount Kanlaon on Tuesday, March 29.
Zeaphard Caelian, chief of the Provincial Disaster Management Program Division, said ashfall was reported in Salvador Benedicto in the First District; Bago City, La Carlota City and Pontevedra in the Fourth District; and La Castellana in the Fifth District.
He added affected LGUs provided gas masks for the residents. The sulphur from the ashfall is hazardous to one’s health since it can trigger asthma and other pulmonary problems. (READ: Mount Kanlaon remains on Alert Level 1 after eruption)
He also said 19 people from Bago City left their homes because of the smell of sulphur. Some of them stayed in the gym while others sought refuge with their relatives.
The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) of Canlaon City reported two minor eruptions at Mount Kanlaon: one at 6:20 p.m. and another at 7:18 p.m. on Tuesday.
Based on the seismic recordings, the first eruption lasted 12 minutes while the second one lasted 25 seconds.
The first eruption was accompanied by a “booming sound” and produced a 1.5-kilometer-high ash column.
Incandescent ejecta caused small bushfires on the upper slope, which was observed in La Castellana, Negros Occidental, CDRRMO said.
Moreover, the eruption was followed by two volcanic tremors at 10:38 p.m. Tuesday and 1:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Since December 2015, a slight inflation of the Kanlaon edifice was observed, according to Global Positioning System data as of March 14.
Mount Kanlaon remained under Alert Level 1 status, which means it is in an abnormal condition and is in a period of current unrest. It has been undergoing unsettling status since November 23 last year.
Local government units and the public are reminded that entry into the 4-kilometer radius – or Permanent Danger Zone – is strictly prohibited due to the potential for sudden and hazardous steam-driven or phreatic eruptions.
Civil aviation authorities, meanwhile, should also advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.
Benjamin Tanatan, a Phivolcs science research analyst based in Canlaon City, said that based on visual observations, there is moderate white steaming activity with a height of 500 to 800 meters above the crater, going southwest, which is toward La Castellana.
There has been, however, no visual of the Kanlaon’s summit since Wednesday afternoon due to the clouds obscuring a view of the crater, he said.
Ten volcanic earthquakes were recorded from 5 a.m. Tuesday to 5 a.m. Wednesday in Kanlaon, Tanatan added.
Tanatan also said the direction of the wind from the eruption is southwest, which is why some local government units in Negros Occidental were affected by the ashfall. The ash emissions of the volcano drifted to Negros Occidental because its origin was northeast.
He said that if the direction of the wind changes, the ash fall will be felt in Canlaon City.
Most of the ash ejections were reported in Barangay Ilijan in Bago City, Barangay Ara-al in La Carlota City, and Barangay Sa-ang in La Castellana.
Phivolcs continues to monitor Kanlaon’s volcanic activity.
Grassfires
Meanwhile, Caelian said they have already mobilized 300 volunteers on Wednesday night to contain the grassfire and stop it from reaching the forested areas of Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park (MKNP).
The volunteers will set up a “fire line” to control the blaze in Barangays Biak na Bato and Cabagna-an in La Castellana.
Caelian also clarified the cause of the grassfire. According to him, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Andres Untal believed hot rocks emitted from the volcano’s crater caused the grassfire. Furthermore, the likelihood of it being man-made was lower since no one was allowed to enter the 4-kilometer danger zone of the area.
The Negros Occidental Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council allocated P3 million for personal services and other logistical support for the provision of fire protection line.
The operation is expected to last for one week.
The Office of Civil Defense in the Negros Island Region had earlier prepared a comprehensive contingency plan for Mount Kanlaon, since it was placed on Alert Level 1 last year.
Data showed that at least 11,000 residents from 5 barangays of Canlaon City in Negros Oriental may be affected if the volcano’s abnormalities worsen.
If the volcano’s status enters Alert Level 3, about 20,000 individuals from 5 barangays of La Castellana in Negros Occidental will be affected. Some 2,500 households from 5 barangays in La Carlota City, more than 500 households from two barangays in Bago City and one barangay in Murcia town will be affected if it reaches Alert Level 4. Another two barangays from San Carlos City will be affected if Alert Level 5 is reached. – Rappler.com