Philippine volcano briefly erupts, belching ash plume into the sky
A restive volcano in central Philippines briefly erupted Tuesday, spewing a 4.5-kilometer (2.8-mile) ash plume and debris into the sky as its rumblings were heard nearby.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said a moderately explosive eruption occurred at the summit crater of Kanlaon Volcano before dawn, lasting five minutes based on seismic and infrasound data.
'The eruption generated a greyish voluminous plume that rose approximately 4.5 kilometers above the vent before drifting to the southwest,' the institute's bulletin added.
Ash fell in at least nine villages southwest of the volcano on Negros island, but no injuries or damage was reported.
A level 3 alert - out of a scale of five - that was put in place during Kanlaon's eruption in December remained unchanged, with officials keeping a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) danger zone off limits. The alert means the volcano is in a state of magmatic unrest, with increased chances of short-lived, moderately explosive eruptions that could generate volcanic hazards.
Kanlaon also briefly erupted in April. Its eruption in December prompted the evacuation of thousands of villagers to emergency shelters as the volcano continued showing signs of restiveness.
The 2,435-meter (7,988-foot) volcano is one of the country's 24 most active volcanoes. In 1996, three hikers were killed near the peak and several others were later rescued when Kanlaon erupted without warning, officials said then.
The Philippines is located in the so-called Pacific 'Ring of Fire,' a region prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The archipelago is also lashed by about 20 typhoons and storms a year, making it one of the world's most disaster-prone countries.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
2 days ago
- Arab News
New Trump ban puts thousands of Afghans in US resettlement limbo
KABUL: A new US travel ban, which lists Afghans among nationals of 12 affected countries, has put on hold the lives of thousands of refugees who fled Afghanistan after the withdrawal of American-led troops in 2021. US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday banning nationals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen from entering the country — part of a broader immigration crackdown launched by his administration earlier this year at the start of his second term. The move has placed in a state of indefinite waiting some 25,000 Afghans who have been approved for relocation to the US and are awaiting departure in Pakistan. One of them, Mohammad Iqbal, a 35-year-old former government employee, told Arab News that his refugee resettlement application has been active for the past two years. Having completed two interviews with the UN refugee agency and the necessary medical check-ups, he was waiting for his final visa appointment. He is not allowed to work in Pakistan, and he also cannot go back to Afghanistan — both for safety reasons and since that would halt the refugee process. 'I am running out of money and there is no work for Afghans here in Pakistan. We are also facing an increasing risk of deportation. My passport will expire if I don't make it to the US in a few months. It will be very difficult to go back to Afghanistan. I won't be safe there,' Iqbal said. 'I have done my master's degree abroad and worked in some highly technical positions before 2021 ... The current decision by the US president is very unfair and is against the promises made to us by the US government.' Besides those in Pakistan, thousands more Afghans are in the same situation stranded in Qatar and in the UAE, and another few hundred have been kept waiting at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo — the largest US military base in the Balkans. The US travel ban will be in effect from June 9, according to a presidential proclamation released by the White House, which said that it was needed to protect the US from 'from terrorist attacks and other national security or public-safety threats.' Justifying the decision on Afghanistan, Trump cited its lack of a 'competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents' and screening and vetting capabilities. Another reason was that the Taliban, 'a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group,' controls Afghanistan. The Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, when its Western-backed administration collapsed as American-led international forces withdrew after two decades of occupation that started with the US invasion of the country in 2001. The troop withdrawal was followed by an exodus of hundreds of thousands of Afghans — many of whom had worked as translators or local staff for foreign governments, organizations or for the previous administration, and feared potential retribution by the Taliban. 'The US played a direct role in creating this situation. As a result of the 20-year US occupation, Afghan society was divided into hostile groups that turned against each other,' said Nasir Ahmad Nawidy, political science professor at Salam University in Kabul. 'Because of the improper policy of the US — without an agreement and peace being reached — the country collapsed, and the systems and order were destroyed. As a result, many people who were prominent figures or experts in the previous regime, or other people who had held important positions in this country, were forced to leave Afghanistan.' He was still hopeful that the US justice system would challenge Trump's decision. 'The US has a commitment to these people,' he said. 'They have been promised it, and their visas are in process. Ignoring these commitments and halting or delaying ongoing processes is against all humanitarian laws.'
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Al Arabiya
Body of missing Briton found in lift shaft in Malaysia
Malaysian police confirmed Thursday that the body of a man found a day earlier in a Kuala Lumpur lift shaft was that of a British backpacker who was missing for more than a week. Jordan Johnson-Doyle, 25, was last seen on May 27 at a bar in an upmarket suburb in the capital, sparking a police probe and a frenzied search by his parents. Police on Wednesday afternoon 'received information that a man was found lying on his back in the lift (shaft) on the ground floor of a (building) construction site,' Kuala Lumpur police chief Rusdi Mohd Isa said in a statement. Fire and rescue services recovered the body, which was sent for a post mortem, he added. 'The results found that the cause of death was a chest injury sustained from a fall from height,' Rusdi said. 'No criminal elements were found at the scene and the case has been classified as a sudden death report,' he said, adding the body was identified by the victim's uncle based on a tattoo. Brickfields district police chief Ku Mashariman Ku Mahmood confirmed to AFP that Johnson-Doyle was identified as the victim. Johnson-Doyle, a software engineer, was last seen on May 27 in the bustling Bangsar district, known for its nightlife, trendy bars and cafes. Johnson-Doyle's mother Leanne Burnett, 44, told the Free Malaysia Today news website that her husband had travelled to Kuala Lumpur to look for their son, adding that the family was 'distraught' over his disappearance. Local reports said Johnson-Doyle was on a solo backpacking trip around Southeast Asia when he disappeared.
Arab News
3 days ago
- Arab News
Green Falcons finalize preparations for Bahrain World Cup qualifier
DHAHRAN: The Saudi Arabian national football team concluded a key training session on Tuesday evening as preparations intensify for their upcoming AFC World Cup qualifier against Bahrain. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Their crucial qualifier will kick off this Thursday as part of the ninth round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers. Under the guidance of head coach Herve Renard, the Green Falcons trained at Ettifaq Club Stadium in Dammam, with the session featuring warm-ups, passing drills, tactical exercises, and a full-pitch training match between two squads. The team left for Bahrain after the session. On the injury front, players Muhannad Al-Saad and Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti continued their respective rehabilitation programs under the supervision of the national team's medical staff. The squad is scheduled to hold its final training session on Wednesday at Bahrain National Stadium, with the first 15 minutes open to media coverage.
