PROVINCIAL Disaster Management Program Division (PDMPD) head Zeaphard Caelian has advised the public to stay away from the four-kilometer permanent danger zone at the Mt. Kanlaon in Negros Island as phreatic eruption may happen anytime.

Phreatic eruptions are steam-driven explosions that occur when water beneath the ground or on the surface is heated by magma, lava, hot rocks, or new volcanic deposits.

Residents near the volcano should also stay alert as abnormal activities and volcanic quakes were monitored by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) around it recently, Caelian said.

Hiking and other related activities near the volcano is prohibited this time, he said, adding that the Phivolcs maintains the Alert Level 1 status of the volcano.

Based on their latest monitoring of Phivolcs, there were 14 volcanic earthquakes detected through seismographs with 138 tonnes per day of sulfur dioxide flux on Saturday, January 22.

Volcanic sulfur dioxide gas emission and obscure, or steaming/degassing activity at the active vent/crater, were also detected. Its edifice is inflated or movement of the ground on the volcano is observed.