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Agence France-Presse

Thousands of people were ordered to evacuate from their homes near a Philippine volcano on Saturday after an eruption sent ash and steam hundreds of metres into the sky.
Taal volcano, which sits in a lake south of Manila, exploded with a “short-lived” burst at 7.22am (local time), the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a statement.
It warned further eruptions were possible, which it said could trigger dangerous, fast-moving volcanic flows of gas, ash and debris, as well as a tsunami.
The seismological agency “strongly” recommended residents living in vulnerable communities around the lake be evacuated, as it raised the alert level from two to three.
Life near Taal Volcano was ‘like having gun pointed at residents’, officials say
The initial eruption was followed by “nearly continuous phreatomagmatic activity” that sent plumes stretching 1,500m into the air.
A phreatomagmatic eruption happens when molten rock comes into contact with underground or surface water, said Princess Cosalan, a scientist at the agency, likening it to pouring “water on a hot pan”.
Cosalan said that ash and steam emissions had quietened in the hours after the initial burst, but said the institute’s on-site sensors continued to detect volcanic earthquakes and another eruption was “possible”.


“There is magmatic intrusion at the main crater that may further drive succeeding eruptions,” the agency warned.
Residents of five villages were ordered to leave their homes, regional civil defence spokesman Kelvin John Reyes said.
More than 12,000 people live in the settlements, according to the latest available official data.
Police have been deployed to stop people entering the high-risk areas.

Taal is one of the most active volcanoes in a nation hit periodically by eruptions and earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” – a zone of intense seismic activity.
Access to the volcano island, which was once home to a community of thousands, has been prohibited since January 2020.
That was when an eruption shot ash 15km high and spewed red-hot lava, crushing scores of homes, killing livestock and sending tens of thousands into shelters.
Last July, the seismological agency raised the alert level to three after Taal burst to life again.
It belched sulphur dioxide for several days, creating a thick haze over the capital and surrounding provinces.
The alert level was lowered back to two before Saturday’s eruption.


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Thousands flee after Taal volcano in Philippines belches ash and gas

The Taal volcano’s eruption on Saturday sent ash and steam hundreds of metres into the sky. Photo: Philippine Volcanology and Seismology/AFP

Access to the Taal volcano island, which was once home to a community of thousands, has been prohibited since January 2020. Photo: AFP

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In this Jan. 13, 2020, photo, a family rides their motorcycle through clouds of ash as they evacuate to safer grounds as Taal volcano in Tagaytay, Cavite province, southern Philippines. Red-hot lava is gushing from the volcano after a sudden eruption of ash and steam that forced residents to flee and shut down Manila’s airport, offices and schools. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)

epa08135679 Handout aerial photo provided by the Office of Civil Defense shows areas affected by volcanic ash from Taal Volcano in Batangas province, south of Manila, Philippines 17 January 2020. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has kept the alert level at four, following the volcano's eruption on 12 January 2020. EPA-EFE/OFFICE OF CIVIL DEFENSE HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

Families evacuated from the vicinity of the Taal volcano rest in the La Consolacion College gymnasium evacuation centre in Tanauan on Janaury 17, 2020. - The threat of the Philippines' Taal volcano unleashing a potentially catastrophic eruption remains high, authorities warned on January 16, saying it was showing dangerous signs despite a "lull" in spewing ash. (Photo by Ed JONES / AFP)

Bricks made of volcanic ash seen outside a brickmaking facility in Binan, Philippines, on January 17, 2020. Photo: Reuters

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Asia

Southeast Asia


Taal volcano, which sits in a lake south of Manila, erupted with a ‘short-lived’ burst and sent plumes stretching 1,500m into the air
Officials warned further eruptions were possible, ordering the evacuation of thousands of residents



Taal volcano, which sits in a lake south of Manila, erupted with a ‘short-lived’ burst and sent plumes stretching 1,500m into the air.


Taal Volcano

Volcanoes

Natural disasters

Thousands flee after Taal volcano in Philippines belches ash and gas

Taal volcano, which sits in a lake south of Manila, erupted with a ‘short-lived’ burst and sent plumes stretching 1,500m into the air Officials warned further eruptions were possible, ordering the evacuation of thousands of residents

Taal volcano, which sits in a lake south of Manila, erupted with a ‘short-lived’ burst and sent plumes stretching 1,500m into the air

Officials warned further eruptions were possible, ordering the evacuation of thousands of residents