Philippine volcano eruption sends villagers fleeing for safety as homes are blanketed in ash

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A large volcano eruption in the Philippines sent a plume of ash and gases up to 1.8 miles high following a powerful blast that sent villagers fleeing to emergency shelters. There were no immediate reports of casualties in the latest explosion on Monday of Mount Kanlaon, on central Negros island, but it prompted authorities to immediately shut schools and impose an overnight curfews. Disaster-response officials raised the danger level around Kanlaon due to “a greater risk of hazardous volcanic activity” and ordered villagers within a 3.7-mile radius to be evacuated.