A restive Philippine volcano has erupted briefly on a central island, sending a 2.4-mile plume of ash and debris into the sky and forcing authorities to suspend classes in four villages due to ashfall.

The volcano is located in the central part of the Philippines, which is in the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The archipelago is also lashed by about 20 typhoons and storms a year, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.