STILL RESTIVE Mt. Kanlaon on Negros Island, shown here from the town of La Castellana in Negros Occidental, spews ash for two hours on Monday starting at 11:52 a.m. but only caused minor ashfall in nearby areas. The volcano erupted on April 8. | Marvin Escander/Contributor via Inquirer.net
BACOLOD CITY — The lahar flow from Mt. Kanlaon that hit Barangay Biak na Bato, La Castellana, Negros Occidental on Saturday, May 24, destroyed one house and damaged seven others.
The occupants of the houses, however, have moved to evacuation centers since December last year, said John de Asis, La Castellana, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head.
The area hit by the lahar flow is within the 6-kilometer danger zone around Mt. Kanlaon that had been ordered evacuated.
Heavy rainfall that turned the volcano’s ash deposits into lahar also blocked the road along Sitio Tamburong in Barangay Biak na Bato on Saturday.
The Department of Public Works and Highways and volunteers from the Philippine Red Cross and local governments cleared the affected road by 4 p.m. Saturday and its now passable.
De Asis said evacuated farmers are allowed to visit their farms within the danger zone from 6 a.m. 4 pm.