MANILA, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Kanlaon volcano in central Philippines erupted on Monday, spewing a column of ash and gas into the sky, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.
An explosive eruption occurred at the summit vent of the Kanlaon Volcano on Monday afternoon, the institute said in an alert-level bulletin.
"The eruption produced a voluminous plume that rapidly rose to 3,000 meters above the vent and drifted west-southwest," it read.
The bulletin added that the activity means a "magmatic eruption has begun that may progress to further explosive eruptions."
The institute raised the alert level to three on a scale of five.
It also advised villagers within a 6-km radius of the volcano's summit to evacuate, saying that the public "must be prepared for additional evacuation if activity warrants."
The Kanlaon Volcano, which straddles the provinces of Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental on the island of Negros, is one of the country's most active volcanoes, which erupted in June. ■
