Kanlaon Volcano erupts in the Philippines, sending ash plume 4,000 metres high

MANILA, April 8 — A volcano in central Philippines erupted early this morning, spewing an ash plume 4,000 metres (2.5 miles) into the air and triggering recommendations for school closures in nearby areas.

Kanlaon Volcano, located on the island of Negros and one of the country’s 24 active volcanoes, last erupted in December, leading to the evacuation of nearby villages. Evacuation orders remained in place when today’s eruption occurred.

“The explosive eruption at the summit vent of Kanlaon Volcano began at 5:51am today,” the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a statement.

The eruption produced a thick ash column that rose approximately 4,000 metres and drifted southwest, it added.

Footage shared on social media showed a large, slow-moving ash plume rising into the morning sky.

“We were prepared for this. Families within the 4 to 6 kilometre danger zone had already been evacuated during the December eruption,” said John De Asis, a rescue official in La Castellana municipality, Negros Occidental province.

“We’re currently monitoring which villages may be affected by ashfall and have recommended suspending classes and work in the municipality.”

Channel Nicor, 22, told AFP she was waiting for a bus to school when the eruption happened.

“The sound was like a massive rock crashing down. I looked up and saw the ash cloud growing bigger and bigger,” she said. “Of course I felt nervous, but less so than during the last eruption, because now we know what to do.”

The volcano remains under a level three alert—on a five-tier scale—issued during the December activity. In September, Kanlaon also released thousands of tonnes of harmful gases, prompting temporary evacuations. — AFP