In brief
The Philippine government has ordered the evacuation of close to 90,000 people after Mount Kanlaon erupted, unleashing ash and lava. The alert level has been raised, with officials warning of potential future eruptions, and several evacuation centers have been established to accommodate displaced residents.
The Philippine government has initiated a mass evacuation of nearly 90,000 residents from the central island of Negros following a significant eruption of Mount Kanlaon. This volcanic event, which occurred on Monday afternoon, produced a plume of ash and lava reaching heights of up to two miles. Teresito Bacolcol, head of seismology at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, emphasized the eruption's destructive potential, stating, "This can kill." In the aftermath of the eruption, authorities raised the volcano's alert level from 2 to 3, indicating an increased risk of stronger explosive eruptions in the immediate future, with the highest being level 5.A danger zone spanning a 6-kilometer radius around the volcano has been officially designated. Approximately 47,000 individuals are located within this perilous zone in the upland town of La Castellana, as reported by the Office of Civil Defense. Local authorities have established Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City, which can house up to 30,000 evacuees, as the primary evacuation center, along with shelters set up across eleven nearby villages.The Philippines is home to around 100 volcanoes, 24 of which are classified as active. Situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire—the region hosting 75% of the globe's volcanoes—Mount Kanlaon has a long history of eruptions, having erupted over 40 times since 1866. Notably, a previous eruption in 1996 resulted in the tragic deaths of three hikers.
