Mount Kanlaon, on the central Philippine island of Negros, erupted early April 8, spewing a massive ash cloud almost 4,000 meters (2.5 miles) into the air. The eruption occurred just days after earlier volcanic activity on April 1 and April 6.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology validated the eruptive activity at 5:51 am local time. “An explosive eruption is ongoing at the summit vent of Kanlaon Volcano,” read the agency’s statement. They noted a “voluminous bent plume with an approximate height of 4,000 meters drifting southwest.” The eruption subsisted until 6:47 am.
Videos that have gone viral on social media captured the dramatic moment, a colossal column of ash rising steadily into the morning air. One of the videos was captioned: “Huge eruption of the Kanlaon volcano in Negros Island Region, Philippines ???????? (08.04.2025).”
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The authorities immediately recommended that surrounding communities cancel classes and work as they evaluated the possible effect of the ashfall. “At the moment we are just monitoring which villages will be hit by the ashfall,” an official stated. “We are recommending the cancellation of classes and work in the municipality.”
The volcano continues to be at Alert Level 3 — half-way on the five-point warning scale — that was established after a December 2024 eruption that had prompted evacuations in the surrounding communities. The evacuation orders were in effect at the time of Tuesday’s explosion.
Residents are already accustomed to such occurrences. Channel Nicor, 22, remembered her morning experience. “The noise sounded like a huge boulder had crashed from a high area, then I glanced upwards and saw the ash cloud enlarging and enlarging from the volcano,” she stated. “When I observed the ash naturally I felt scared, but not as scared as the last eruption, because now we know what to do.”
Kanlaon is one of the Philippines’ 24 active volcanoes. It emitted thousands of tonnes of toxic gases in a single day last September, prompting officials to evacuate hundreds of residents.
Up to this point, authorities remain on high alert as ashfall and potential further activity continue to be a concern for surrounding communities.
