Kanlaon Volcano Erupts Again — 2-Minute Explosion Sends Ash 2,500 Meters High, Classes Suspended Across Negros

Kanlaon Volcano erupted again Thursday night, exactly one week after its last moderately explosive eruption. PHIVOLCS reported that the blast occurred at around 7:04 PM on February 26 and lasted two minutes, generating a plume that shot 2,500 meters above the crater before drifting southwest.

Incandescent ballistics — glowing chunks of volcanic rock — were observed raining around the crater, while pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) swept down the eastern and southeastern upper slopes within two kilometers of the summit. Continuous ash emission followed immediately after the eruption and persisted for hours.

Three sitios in La Carlota City and La Castellana, both in Negros Occidental, experienced ashfall due to prevailing wind direction. PHIVOLCS said it would be assessing monitoring data within 24 hours for possible changes to the alert level, which currently remains at Alert Level 2.

The impact was immediate: at least seven local government units in Negros Occidental suspended classes on Friday, including Hinigaran, La Carlota, Himamaylan, La Castellana, Murcia, Binalbagan, and Isabela. Canlaon City in Negros Oriental also suspended all classes. Walang pasok for thousands of students across the region.

This is the latest in a series of eruptions from Kanlaon, which has been restless for months. With Mayon also acting up on the other side of the Visayas, Filipino communities are once again reminded that living in the Pacific Ring of Fire is never boring — and never entirely safe.

Source: GMA News