MANILA: A high level of alert for a Philippine volcano was raised on Monday after an explosive eruption sent a thick column of smoke and ash into the sky, the volcanology agency said.
Mount Kanlaon situated on the central island of Negros erupted before 7:00 p.m. (1100 GMT), prompting warnings for residents of nearby areas to wear facemasks because of the threat of falling ash and volcanic gases.
A resident of the area Ethan Asentista-Khoo said the volcano erupted with a thunder-like sound.
He added there was a massive fire on the volcano, which lasted around one to two minutes. He said no lava or rocks were coming out.
The Philippines, situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire, frequently experiences earthquakes due to intense seismic and volcanic activity. Most earthquakes in the region, however, are too weak to be perceptible to humans.
Notably, a 7.6-magnitude quake off Mindanao Island in December last year briefly prompted a tsunami warning and resulted in at least three fatalities.
Kanlaon is one of 24 active volcanoes in the Philippines. Eruptions of volcanos can be deadly with pyroclastic flows as well as ashfall posing danger to communities surrounding the volcano.
