A volcano in “explosive eruption” in the Philippines, the alert level raised

The authorities speak of a “explosive eruption” which lasted six minutes and projected a plume of ash five kilometers. Mount Kanlaon, on the island of Negros in the Philippines, woke up on Monday June 3, announced the iPhilippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. This last raised the alert level from one to two on a scale of five.

He also reported the likely occurrence of flows of ash, rock and gas, called pyroclastic flows, on the flanks of the volcano. For their part, the authorities encourage local residents to wear masks due to the risk of falling volcanic ash and gas fumes.

The Philippines is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, made up of more than half of the world’s volcanoes. Kanlaon is one of the 24 active volcanoes in the archipelago. Eruptions can be devastating, with ash flows and fallout posing a danger to the population. Mudslides can also occur subsequently during heavy rains, which can bury entire villages under volcanic sediments.

The most powerful volcanic eruption in recent decades in the Philippines was that of Pinatubo in 1991, about a hundred kilometers from Manila. It had killed more than 800 people.