White steam plumes were observed at a volcano in the central Philippines after it ejected thick clouds of ash in a series of eruptions, government vulcanologists said Sunday, according to dpa. Eight volcanic earthquakes were recorded at Mount Kanlaon in the past 24 hours, including "explosion-type earthquakes," according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. Kanlaon shot ash as high as 1.5 kilometres into the sky in three eruptions that lasted nearly half an hour on Saturday, but no injuries were reported. "After the eruption, moderate emission of white steam plumes that rose 400 metres high before drifting west-north-west to north-west was observed," the institute said in its latest bulletin. It said it was closely monitoring Kanlaon and stressed the need for the public to keep out of a 4-kilometre radius danger zone and for pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano's summit.
