Latest news with #TeresitoBacolcol
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Schools closed and residents evacuated as Philippines volcano erupts
A volcano in the central Philippines erupted on Tuesday morning, sending up a plume of ash and debris and forcing authorities to close schools and evacuate nearby residents, officials said. The eruption occurred at the summit vent of Kanlaon volcano at 5:51 am (2151 GMT Monday), the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said. "The eruption is producing a voluminous bent plume approximately 4,000 metres tall that is drifting south-west," the agency said in an statement. Ashfall had been reported in nearby towns and cities, prompting school closures and aviation authorities to warn pilots to steer clear. Raul Fernandez, regional director for the Office of Civil Defence, said evacuations were taking place outside of the six-kilometre permanent danger zone. In December 2024, Kanlaon also erupted, forcing 8,000 residents to flee their homes. The volcano's alert was at level 3, which means a "high level of volcanic unrest." Phivolcs chief Teresito Bacolcol said there were no signs that would merit an increase in the current alert. Bacolcol warned residents to take precaution against the ashfall, which could exacerbate respiratory ailments. "If we have lung problems, our symptoms can get worse because volcanic ash is made up of small, fragmented rocks, minerals and volcaniclastics," he said. Kanlaon, a 2,435-metre volcano, is one of the Philippines' most active volcanoes. In 1996, three hikers were killed near the peak a when the volcano erupted without warning.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Philippines' Kanlaon volcano eruption resumes, says seismology agency
MANILA (Reuters) -A volcano in the central Philippines erupted on Tuesday morning, ejecting an ash-laden plume reaching around 4,000 metres (2.5 miles) high, the seismology agency said. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said alert level 3 remained in effect over Mount Kanlaon, where it has been since December 2024 after an earlier explosive event. Level 3, on a scale of 5, means there is an increased risk of lava flows and the potential for a hazardous eruption within weeks. Mount Kanlaon, an active volcano straddling the Southeast Asian country's central provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, is one of two dozen active volcanoes in the Philippines. Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol told DWPM radio there is a possibility the alert level could either be raised or lowered in the coming days, depending on how quickly magma rises to the surface. A faster ascent could trigger a more intense eruption, prompting an escalation to alert level 4, while a slowdown or pause in magma movement may lead to a downgrade to alert level 2, Bacolcol said. The Southeast Asian nation is located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common.
Reuters
08-04-2025
- Climate
- Reuters
Philippines' Kanlaon volcano eruption resumes, says seismology agency
MANILA, April 8 (Reuters) - A volcano in the central Philippines erupted on Tuesday morning, ejecting an ash-laden plume reaching around 4,000 metres (2.5 miles) high, the seismology agency said. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said alert level 3 remained in effect over Mount Kanlaon, where it has been since December 2024 after an earlier explosive event. Make sense of the latest ESG trends affecting companies and governments with the Reuters Sustainable Switch newsletter. Sign up here. Level 3, on a scale of 5, means there is an increased risk of lava flows and the potential for a hazardous eruption within weeks. Mount Kanlaon, an active volcano straddling the Southeast Asian country's central provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, is one of two dozen active volcanoes in the Philippines. Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol told DWPM radio there is a possibility the alert level could either be raised or lowered in the coming days, depending on how quickly magma rises to the surface. A faster ascent could trigger a more intense eruption, prompting an escalation to alert level 4, while a slowdown or pause in magma movement may lead to a downgrade to alert level 2, Bacolcol said. The Southeast Asian nation is located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common.
Arab News
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Philippines steps up disaster preparedness in wake of deadly Myanmar quake
Manila: Philippine officials are calling for enhanced disaster preparedness following the massive earthquake in Myanmar, warning that the archipelago nation is at risk of a devastating seismic event. The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, lies along the so-called Ring of Fire, an arc of faults around the Pacific Ocean where the majority of the world's volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. For the past decade, the Philippine government has been preparing for the 'Big One,' a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that experts say could impact Manila and its surrounding areas. 'We must double our efforts, especially as the Philippines is at risk for the 'Big One'— a potentially catastrophic earthquake that could result in 30,000 to 50,000 casualties,' Ariel F. Nepomuceno, administrator of the Office of Civil Defense, has said. 'The most critical step in enhancing our earthquake preparedness is to implement engineering solutions, such as retrofitting essential structures like schools and health centers.' The 7.2-magnitude earthquake forecast by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology was based on historical records of fault movements, as seismic events are impossible to predict. Philippine officials have been calling for increased disaster preparedness after the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that hit central Myanmar on Friday killed more than 2,700 people, injured more than 4,500 others, and destroyed scores of buildings. 'We're part of the Pacific Ring of Fire and every now and then we have earthquakes, we'll be jolted by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and sometimes tsunamis. And for all these disasters, the best course of action is always preparedness,' PHIVOLCS Director Dr. Teresito Bacolcol said during a press briefing on Wednesday. 'We have to make sure that our buildings, our houses are earthquake resilient — meaning, we have to follow the minimum engineering standards when we construct our houses or buildings.' In the Manila capital region, at least 124 public buildings have been retrofitted, or strengthened to make it more earthquake-resistant, with plans to do so for 500 more, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways. The Department of Science and Technology, which presides over PHIVOLCS, is also planning to hold earthquake seminars in different parts of the country this year, according to the state-run Philippine News Agency. Meanwhile, the Office of Civil Defense is working on improving the National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill by adding more scenarios, including nighttime drills and tsunami preparedness. One of the deadliest recorded earthquakes in the Philippines took place in 1990, when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed nearly 2,000 people in the country's north.
