Taal Volcano eruption: Philippine government fears repeat of Pinatubo disaster that killed 847 people
- The chief state seismologist said Taal’s volcanic activity had previously lasted a few days but in one instance it had gone on for seven months
- Officials also sought to dissuade vendors from selling protective face masks at inflated prices after cloud of volcanic ash blew north to Manila
“The entire mountain collapsed during the eruption [in 1991],” said Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who also serves as chief of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
“That’s what we’re fearing, that the eruption would cause the entire island to rise and scatter debris on the nearby areas,” Lorenzana said. “Hopefully this won’t happen. We can never predict the actions of this volcano.”
Taal Volcano continued to tremble on Tuesday as tens of thousands of people fled ash-blanketed villages in the danger zone.
Fountains of red-hot lava spurted 500 metres into the sky with dark plumes of ash and steam reaching 2km. More than 200 earthquakes have been detected in and around Taal, 81 of which were felt with varying intensities.
“Such intense seismic activity probably signifies continuous magmatic intrusion beneath the Taal edifice, which may lead to further eruptive activity,” the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.
Chief state seismologist Renato Solidum warned that residents should not return to their homes within a 14km radius of the volcano. In the past, Taal’s volcanic activity had lasted several days but in one instance in the year 1754, it went on for seven months, he said.
