Mt. Kanlaon on Negros Island erupted early Tuesday sending a plume of ash 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) into the sky.

The eruption began at 5:51 a.m. and lasted 56 minutes, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), prompting the local governments in Negros Occidental to suspend classes and urge residents to wear masks.

In La Carlota City, ashfall affected several barangays, including Ara-al, Yubo, San Miguel, La Granja and Cubay, with light ashfall reported in the Poblacion area.

Phivolcs Director Dr. Teresito Bacolcol said the ashfall “once inhaled is dangerous to health.”

“We can experience a worsening of health because volcanic ash is composed of crushed small rocks, minerals and volcanic glass, which could cause eye, nose, and throat irritation,” he added.

Bacolcol clarified that, although the eruption was “explosive,” it was weaker than those in June and December 2024, but it lasted longer and was driven by the rapid release of gas and pressure beneath the earth’s surface.

A grass fire was reported on the upper eastern slope of the volcano, which was ignited by the superheated ballistic fragments that blew out during the eruption early Tuesday.

The area around the volcano on the island of Negros was under evacuation orders when the eruption occurred.

Pilots warned

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) issued a Notice to Airmen (Notam) restricting flights near the volcano.

The airspace up to 22,000 feet was declared off-limits from 8:20 a.m. on 8 April to 5:51 a.m. on 9 April due to the hazard of volcanic ash.

“Flight operators are advised to avoid flying near the volcano due to the potential hazards posed by volcanic ash,” the CAAP said.

Work, classes cancellation

The volcano “is producing a voluminous bent plume approximately 4,000 meters high that is drifting southwest,” Phivolcs said. Videos posted on social media showed a wide, billowing plume of smoke slowly stretching to the sky.

“We were prepared for the eruption. The families within four to six kilometers were already evacuated during the previous eruption last December,” John de Asis, a rescue official in La Castellana, Negros Occidental, told AFP.

“Right now, we are monitoring which villages will be affected by the ashfall.” They were recommending “the cancellation of classes and work in the municipality,” he added.

Channel Nicor, 22, said she was waiting for a bus to take her to school when the eruption happened.

“The sound seemed like a big rock had fallen from a high place. Then I looked up and saw the (ash cloud) from the volcano getting bigger and bigger,” she told AFP.

“When I saw the ash, of course, I felt nervous, but not as nervous as during the previous eruption, because this time we knew what to do,” she said.

Alert level three

The level-three alert — on a scale of five — put in place during December’s eruption remained unchanged.

In September, hundreds of nearby residents were evacuated after the volcano spurted thousands of tons of harmful gases in a single day. WITH AFP