Kanlaon Volcano Erupts in the Philippines: Ash, Explosions, and Threat of New Emissions
Kanlaon Volcano in the Philippines has erupted, sending an ash plume 4 km high—seismic activity, ballistic fragments, and pyroclastic flows have been recorded.
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On April 8, 2025, at 5:51 AM, a moderately explosive eruption occurred at Kanlaon Volcano on the Philippine island of Negros, reported the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
The eruption lasted 56 minutes and was accompanied by the ejection of grayish ash up to 4,000 meters high, which then drifted west and southwest.
Loud eruption sounds were heard in the towns of Biak-na-Bato, Sag-ang, and Pula. Pyroclastic flows up to one kilometer in length descended the southern slope of the volcano, while large ballistic fragments were recorded near the crater, igniting vegetation.
Light ashfall was reported in 13 villages, including areas of La Carlota, Bago, and La Castellana. A strong smell of sulfur was noted in some locations.
The eruption was preceded by inflation of the volcano’s slope and a decrease in sulfur dioxide emissions. Volcanologists maintain Alert Level 3, warning of the possibility of further short-term or lava eruptions.
It was also reported that due to the powerful eruption of the volcano in the Philippines, tens of thousands of people were evacuated, and the Minister of Social Welfare visited shelters in Negros Occidental to deliver food, water filters, and other essential supplies to those affected.