Evacuations underway as Philippine volcano erupts

Manila: A volcano briefly erupted in the central Philippines on Monday, sending a huge ash column high into the sky as the government ordered the evac...

Manila: A volcano briefly erupted in the central Philippines on Monday, sending a huge ash column high into the sky as the government ordered the evacuation of surrounding villages.

Rising more than 2,400 metres (8,000 feet) above sea level on the central island of Negros, Kanlaon is one of 24 active volcanoes in the Philippines.

A nearly four-minute eruption occurred at 3:03 pm (0703 GMT), sending a four-kilometre (2.5-mile) ash column above the crater and a deadly spurt of hot ash, gases and fragmented volcanic rock about 3.4 kilometres down the mountain's southeast flank, officials told a news conference.

They warned that more explosive eruptions could follow shortly.