Hundreds flee ash-spewing volcano in Philippines

Hundreds of people fled homes and farms in central Philippines on Monday after a volcano spewed a 2km (1.2-mile) high column of ash covering several villages, officials said.

Soldiers were patrolling a 4km danger zone around the crater of Mount Bulusan, one of the most active volcanoes in the poor Southeast Asian nation.

Schools were closed and were being used as temporary shelters, Major Harold Cabunoc told reporters.

The army sent trucks to move around 2,000 people to safety.

"We're also asking aircraft to avoid the volcano," he said.

The Philippine Institute of Vulcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Mount Bulusan started spewing ash in November 2010 but the activity had died down just before the end of 2010.