12K Kanlaon victims still in evac center

More than 11,500 individuals, or 3,428 families, are currently in evacuation centers following Mount Kanlaon’s eruption on Monday, which prompted authorities to raise Alert Level 3.

The Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) confirmed the figures on Wednesday as disaster response efforts continued.

“As of the 2 p.m. report yesterday, we recorded a total of 3,428 families or 11,564 individuals in evacuation centers managed by local government units,” said PDRRMO information officer Bryll Larry Sañor in an interview on Unang Balita.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has reiterated its advisory for residents within the six-kilometer danger zone to evacuate immediately due to the risk of a more hazardous eruption. Despite the mandatory evacuation order, some residents have chosen to remain in their homes, while others within the six-kilometer radius were preemptively evacuated.

Kanlaon Volcano remains highly active, with Phivolcs reporting two ash emissions lasting between 11 and 39 minutes each, sending plumes up to 100 meters high. Additionally, 31 volcanic earthquakes were recorded in the last 24 hours, and sulfur dioxide emissions reached 4,121 tons per day as of 10 December. The volcano’s edifice remains inflated, signaling magma movement beneath the surface.