A major volcanic eruption in the Philippines on Monday prompted evacuations and school closures.

The Eruption

Authorities have not reported any casualties following Mount Kanlaon's latest eruption on central Negros island. However, schools were closed, and a nighttime curfew was implemented after ashfall blanketed several villages, reducing motorists' visibility and prompting concerns over respiratory health.

While speaking with The Associated Press, Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas of Canlaon city, said the eruption "sounded like a cannon."

"There have been quiet eruptions before, but this was one very loud," Cardenas said.

Disaster-response officials elevated the alert level around Mount Kanlaon, citing "a greater risk of hazardous volcanic activity," and ordered the evacuation of residents living within a 3.7-mile (six-kilometer) radius of the crater.

Evacuations

By nightfall, around 100 residents had taken refuge in emergency shelters in Canlaon following the mid-afternoon eruption, according to Cardenas. He noted that the number of evacuees could surpass 2,000 amid growing concerns over the potential for further volcanic activity.

The Philippines' Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported that the eruption triggered a pyroclastic density current-a scorching flow of ash, debris, and rocks capable of obliterating everything in its path.

The alert level for Mount Kanlaon has been raised to the third-highest tier on the country's five-step warning system, signaling that a "magmatic eruption has begun" and could escalate into more explosive activity.

The 7,988-foot (2,435-meter) Mount Kanlaon, one of the Philippines' 24 most active volcanoes, last erupted in June, forcing hundreds of residents into emergency shelters. Situated along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a region notorious for seismic and volcanic activity, the Philippines faces frequent earthquakes and eruptions. Adding to its vulnerability, the country is battered by roughly 20 typhoons and storms annually, making it one of the most disaster-prone nations in the world.

Other Recent Eruptions

Last month, Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano released massive columns of scorching ash into the sky following a powerful eruption that left nine dead and injured dozens more.

The eruption sent out an ash plume yet that reached 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) into the sky, Hadi Wijaya, head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation, said at a news conference. Volcanic materials-including smoldering rocks, lava, and hot, thumb-sized gravel and ash-were ejected up to 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the crater on November 8, according to Hadi Wijaya.

Officials said that there were no reported fatalities following the latest eruption from the Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.

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