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  • Hundreds of people fled their homes in the Philippines today after a volcano spewed noxious gases
  • Schools and some tourist sites have been closed in the city of around 60,000 people
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The eruption left people running from their homes. Ruedi Haberli/Unsplash

Hundreds of people fled their homes in the Philippines today after a volcano spewed noxious gases

Hundreds of people were forced to flee their homes in the Philippines on Wednesday after dangerous gases were released from the Kanlaon volcano. Experts have warned of a possible eruption.

According to the authorities of the nearby town of Kanlaon, around 300 people living in villages within four kilometres of the crater were evacuated on Tuesday as a precautionary measure. The evacuees are now being accommodated in schools and community centers away from the volcano's danger zone.

Schools and some tourist sites have been closed in the city of around 60,000 people

Schools and some tourist sites in the city, with around 60,000 people, were closed on Wednesday due to the threat. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported that the Kanlaon volcano emitted a record-high amount of sulfur dioxide on Tuesday, nearly 9 985 tonnes. The institute warned that the current activity could lead to an eruption that could endanger the populations of four villages due to possible ash clouds, explosions and rockfalls.

Kanlaon, located on the central island of Negros and rising more than 2 400 meters above sea level, is one of 24 active volcanoes in the Philippines. It has erupted 15 times in the last nine years.

Based on ELTA reports