On Tuesday morning, officials said a volcano in the central Philippines erupted, sending up a plume of ash and debris and forcing authorities to close schools and evacuate nearby residents.

The eruption occurred at the summit vent of Kanlaon volcano at 5:51 a.m. (2151 GMT Monday), the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

“The eruption is producing a voluminous bent plume, approximately 4,000 metres tall, that is drifting south-west,” the agency said in a statement.

Ashfall had been reported in nearby towns and cities, prompting school closures and aviation authorities to warn pilots to steer clear.

Raul Fernandez, regional director for the Office of Civil Defence, said evacuations were taking place outside the six-kilometre permanent danger zone.

In December 2024, Kanlaon erupted, forcing 8,000 residents to flee their homes.

The volcano’s alert was at level 3, which means a “high level of volcanic unrest”.

Phivolcs chief Teresito Bacolcol said no signs would merit an increase in the current alert.

Mr Bacolcol warned residents to take precautions against the ash fall, which could exacerbate respiratory ailments.

“If we have lung problems, our symptoms can get worse because volcanic ash is made up of small, fragmented rocks, minerals and volcaniclastics,” he said.

Kanlaon, a 2,435-metre volcano, is one of the Philippines’ most active volcanoes. In 1996, three hikers were killed near the peak when the volcano erupted without warning. 

(dpa/NAN)