In the central part of the Philippines, about 87 thousand people are being evacuated after a sudden and powerful eruption of the Kanlaon volcano. This is reported by the AR, according to UNN.
Details
The eruption, which occurred on Monday, caused a huge column of ash and a pyroclastic flow — a super-hot mixture of gases, ash and debris that descended its western slopes.
Local authorities have declared a danger zone within a radius of six kilometers from the volcano. In the town of La Castellana, Negros-Occidental province, almost 47 thousand people are being evacuated. More than 6 thousand people have already been moved to evacuation centers, while others have found temporary shelter in the homes of relatives.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government was ready to provide all necessary support to the victims, and the minister of social protection personally visited the affected region.
We are ready to support families who were evacuated outside the danger zone,
The authorities imposed a night curfew, closed schools and provided residents with masks, food and hygiene products. Air quality is also monitored due to the risk of toxic gas poisoning.
The eruption lasted almost four minutes and caused serious interruptions in transport links. At least six domestic flights were canceled, a flight to Singapore, and two local flights were diverted.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the alert level has been raised to third on a five-step scale. This means that the eruption can continue and be even more powerful.
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Teresito Bacolkol, the country's chief volcanologist, said the eruption could have been caused by the accumulation of old volcanic materials or the rise of magma.
"This is a one — time but large eruption," he said.
Canlaon volcano, 2,435 meters high, is one of the most active in the Philippines. The last time it erupted was in June 2024, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate. In 1996, its eruption without warning claimed the lives of three tourists.
The Philippines, which is located in the Pacific Ring of fire, regularly faces earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and typhoons, making the country one of the most vulnerable to natural disasters in the world.
recall
In November of this year, Typhoon Toraji hit the Philippines, forcing the evacuation of 2,500 villages and closing ports. This is the fourth typhoon in less than a month, with the previous three killing 159 people.