Despite a decreasing state of unrest, Mount Kanlaon in Negros Island has remained under Alert Level 2.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology’s (Phivolcs) latest bulletin said 53 earthquakes were recorded in the volcano from 12 a.m. on Tuesday to 12 a.m. on Wednesday.
The volcano continued to spew tons of sulfur dioxide days after an explosive eruption sent a five-kilometer plume of volcanic ash and rocks into the sky.
It spewed 4,113 tons of sulfur dioxide over a 24-hour period.
Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol said the agency will continue to closely monitor Kanlaon Volcano for two weeks before they decide to lower its alert status back to Level 1.
Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum, Jr. said they could not tell how long or how short would Kanlaon’s volcanic activity last. Should it maintain its current activity, “we will remain at Alert Level 2,” he noted.
Mount Kanlaon is one of the 24 active volcanoes in the Philippines under the jurisdictions of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental.
Last Monday, it exploded for six minutes sending a plume of ash, rocks and gases five kilometers (three miles) into the sky.
Local authorities said the recent eruption affected over 23,000 individuals in five villages across Canlaon City, which has been placed under a state of calamity on Tuesday.
