Negros occidental: The Office of Civil Defense-Negros Island Region (OCD-NIR) has reported ashfall and sulfuric odor in at least two local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental following a moderately explosive eruption of Kanlaon Volcano on Thursday.

According to Philippines News Agency, residents in San Carlos City's Barangay Quezon have reported detecting a sulfuric smell, while both ashfall and a sulfuric odor were monitored in the higher areas of Barangay Buluangan. In Bago City, specifically in Barangay Ma-ao, only the presence of a sulfuric smell was noted, while Barangay Mailum experienced intermittent rainfall.

As of Thursday afternoon, the OCD-NIR confirmed that the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Emergency Operations Center is on red alert. "We are in close coordination with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and also coordinating with concerned LGUs for situation updates," stated the OCD-NIR report.

The Kanlaon Volcano, currently under Alert Level 2 indicating moderate volcanic unrest, experienced a moderately explosive eruption at the summit crater at 7:33 a.m., lasting for three minutes, as recorded by seismic and infrasound instruments. Phivolcs reported that the event produced a dark gray eruption plume, rising two to three kilometers above the crater before moving eastward. Poorly visible pyroclastic density currents were noted to have descended the southeastern slopes, potentially reaching up to a kilometer from the summit crater.

Phivolcs emphasized that with the current alert level, access to the four-kilometer-radius permanent danger zone around the volcano should remain strictly prohibited.