Manila, July 1, (dpa/GNA) – The Philippines’ second-most active volcano erupted on Thursday, spewing a dark, one-kilometre-high plume of volcanic gas and steam, government scientists said.
The short-lived eruption – accompanied by what is technically called a phreatomagmatic plume – prompted scientists to raise the alert at Taal volcano in Batangas province, 66 kilometres south of Manila, from level two to level three.
“This means that there is magmatic intrusion at the main crater that may further drive succeeding eruptions,” the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.
Emergency teams began to evacuate five high-risk villages near the volcano, which could affect more than 14,000 residents, disaster officials said.
Phivolcs called for the evacuation “due to possible hazards of pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami.”
So far, the pacing of Taal’s activity appears to be slow compared to last year’s eruption, said Phivolcs director Renato Solidum.
“Magma is degassing, which is good so that the explosion will not be big,” he said. “The explosion (this afternoon) stopped after 5 minutes and it’s possible that the unrest could be just that or it can escalate.”
“But so far, we are not seeing anything unusual with the volcano’s swelling,” he added, but noting that sulfur dioxide emissions remain high.
Taal last erupted on January 12, 2020, displacing more than 376,000 people from surrounding towns. It has erupted 33 time since 1572.
Thirty-nine people died due to illness while in evacuation centres and accidents caused by thick ash fall, according to the provincial government.
It is a popular tourist destination for its picturesque crater lake. Taal also has the distinction of being the only known volcano in the world within a lake on an island.
GNA