(Eagle News)–The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has raised an alert level 1 over Mt. Kanlaon due to what it said was increased seismic activity and the swelling of the volcano.
Alert level 1 means the volcano is in an abnormal state.
In its advisory, PHIVOLCS said Kanlaon volcano’s seismic monitoring network recorded a total of 80 volcanic earthquakes since March 9.
PHIVOLCS said this was dominated by 77 low-frequency events that are “associated with magmatic fluids beneath the edifice.”
PHIVOLCS said it was strongly monitoring the volcano, which was in a normal state, alert level 0, until then.
It strongly reiterated to local government units and the public that entry into the 4-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone be strictly prohibited due to “further possibilities of sudden and hazardous steam-driven or phreatic eruptions.”
Civil aviation authorities should also advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit, PHIVOLCS said.