Philippine volcano eruption sends ash 2.5 kilometres into sky

AFP | Manila

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A volcano erupted in the central Philippines on yesterday evening, sending a billowing plume of ash about 2,500 metres (1.5 miles) into the nighttime sky.

The two-minute eruption began at 7:04 pm (1104 GMT), state volcanology agency director Teresito Bacolcol told AFP, saying "there might be a bigger explosive eruption in the next few days".

Kanlaon Volcano, one of 24 active volcanoes in the archipelago nation, has had several major eruptions in the past century -- including a 1996 blast that killed three hikers who were near the summit at the time. "This is the second moderate eruption in a week," Bacolcol said in a phone interview, adding his agency would monitor the volcano for 24 hours before deciding if it should raise the alert level from two to three on its five-point scale.

"This event generated a plume that rose 2,500 meters above the crater before drifting southwest. Incandescent ballistics were observed to have rained around the crater," the volcanology centre said in a statement released minutes later.