Kanlaon Volcano logs 8 volcanic quakes

Eight volcanic earthquakes were recorded to have occurred at Kanlaon Volcano in the Visayas Region on Saturday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said Sunday.

The volcano also emitted 1,611 tonnes of sulfur dioxide, PHIVOLCS said in its bulletin covering the period 12 a.m. Saturday to 12 a.m. Sunday.

Moderate plumes rising up to 100 meters tall were also observed. These drifted west-southwest and westward.

The volcano also is continuously degassing and emitting ash occasionally, PHIVOLCS added.

Kanlaon Volcano's edifice remains inflated.

Alert Level 3 (Intensified Unrest/Magmatic Unrest) remains in effect at Kanlaon Volcano, which straddles the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental.

PHIVOLCS reiterated that the six-kilometer radius from the volcano's summit should be off limits.

Flying aircraft close to the volcano should also not be allowed, it added.

At Alert Level 3, Kanlaon Volcano poses hazards such as:

• sudden explosive eruption;
• lava flow or effusion;
• ashfall;
• pyroclastic density current (PDC);
• rockfall; and
• lahars during heavy rains.

Kanlaon Volcano erupted on December 9 , prompting PHIVOLCS to raise the alert level from 2 to 3.

The province of Negros Oriental has declared a state of calamity due to the volcano's eruption. —KG, GMA Integrated News