Philippines orders evacuation amid volcano eruption

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Philippines Tuesday ordered the evacuation of people amid an eruption at the Kanlaon Volcano on the island of Negros.

Kanlaon Volcano is an active stratovolcano and the highest mountain on the island.

Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas of Canlaon city warned that there was a risk of flash floods, mudflows, and other hazards due to volcanic ash deposition.

“All residents living within 3 miles from the rivers downstream are hereby ordered to evacuate immediately,” said Jose in a statement.

The volcano produced a massive plume rising to 5,000 meters (3.1 miles) above the summit on Monday, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

The eruption at 6.51 p.m. local time (1051GMT) lasted six minutes, and was preceded by a volcano-tectonic earthquake.

The civil aviation authorities have been alerted to advise pilots to avoid the volcano’s summit as ash can be hazardous to aircraft.

Volcano eruption also led to air-traffic disruption in many regions of the archipelago.

Raising the alert level from one to two, the institute said it continues to closely monitor the incident and will provide updates as necessary. The public has been urged to stay vigilant and follow safety measures to mitigate the dangers of volcanic activity.