The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised Alert Level 3 over Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island after it erupted at 3:03 pm Monday lasting seven minutes, producing a four-kilometer-tall plume.

Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol said the Alert Level was raised to 3 and it recommended expanding the permanent danger zone from four kilometers to six kilometers.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said a notice to airmen was imposed at 4:50 pm to Tuesday 3:03 pm where they were ''advised to avoid flying close to the volcano due to possible hazards of sudden steam-driven or phreatic eruptions and precursory magmatic activity.''

Bacolcol said areas in Negros Occidental that could experience ash fall are Bago City, La Carlota City, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, and Isabela.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Phivolcs said it was raising the alert level to indicate that a “magmatic eruption has begun that may progress to further eruptions.”

Phivolcs earlier reported that it had monitored six volcanic earthquakes and an ashfall emission that lasted 16 minutes long at Kanlaon Volcano within 24 hours.

The volcano emitted 4,638 tonnes of sulfur dioxide per day since Sunday and produced a 300-meter tall plume that drifted southwest. Jaspearl Tan/DMS