Kanlaon volcano erupts after election day, sends ash fall to towns. Photos courtesy of Cheyserr Danielle

MANILA — Kanlaon volcano on Negros Island erupted early Tuesday morning or hours after millions of Filipinos trooped to polls to cast their votes in the midterm elections.

The volcano sent a massive grey plume of ash up about 4.5 kilometers into the sky, blanketing nearby towns with ash fall as local governments were tallying votes from Monday's polls, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a bulletin.

Phivolcs said thin ashfall has been reported in the following localities of Negros Occidental: 

• La Carlota City – Brgys. Cubay, San Miguel, Yubo and Ara-al

• Bago City – Brgys. Ilijan and Binubuhan

• La Castellana – Brgys. Biak-na-Bato, Sag-ang, and Mansalanao.

A level 3 alert — out of a scale of five — put in place during an eruption in December remained unchanged Tuesday, as officials highlighted an existing 6-kilometer evacuation radius.

"A moderately explosive eruption occurred at the summit crater of Kanlaon Volcano at 2:55 a.m. today," state volcanologists said, adding that it lasted 5 minutes.

"The eruption generated a greyish voluminous plume that rose approximately 4.5 kilometers above the vent before drifting to the southwest," it said.

"Large ballistic fragments were also observed to have been thrown around the crater within a few hundred meters and caused burning of vegetation near the volcano summit."

Stating the continued level three alert, the agency warned there were "increased chances of short-lived moderately explosive eruptions that could generate life-threatening volcanic hazards."

LOCAL GOV'T URGED TO BE READY FOR EVACUATION

Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol said there is still a chance for sudden phreatic eruptions, especially since volcanic earthquakes at Kanlaon are on the rise. 

"Napansin namin na dumadami na naman yung volcanic earthquake and we warned na pwedeng magkaroon ng sudden phreatic eruption," Bacolcol said in an interview.

Bacolcol also called on local government units to be ready for possible evacuations if volcanic activities ramp up and Alert Level 4 is declared.

"Para sa mga LGUs, hinihikayat natin na kapag, there is a big eruption, they should be ready to evacuate 'yung mga nakatira behind the 6 kilometers danger zone," he said.

 Phivolcs is also keeping a close eye on Mayon and Taal volcanoes, which are currently at Alert Level 1.

Kanlaon Volcano, one of 24 active volcanoes in the Southeast Asian nation, has had several eruptions in the past century — the most recent of which happened last month.

In August 1996, Kanlaon Volcano erupted, sending a spray of heated rocks that killed three hikers who were near the summit at the time.

The Philippines is on the seismically active region of the Pacific known as the "Ring of Fire," where more than half the world's volcanoes are located.

The most powerful volcanic explosion in the Philippines in recent years was the 1991 eruption of Pinatubo, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Manila, which killed more than 800 people. —with reports from Mon Rodelas