Philippines authorities issue evacuation alert as Taal volcano spews ash, lava

The local authorities of the Philippines have reportedly issued an evacuation order as Taal Volcano gushed out red-hot lava on Monday, January 13, accompanied by a series of earthquakes. According to international media reports, thousands of people were being evacuated from south of the Philippine capital, Manila, and hundreds of flights have been further grounded amid an alert for a possible 'explosive eruption'. The country's seismological authority further raised the alert to Level 4 out of a maximum 5 and reportedly suggested that a 'hazardous explosive eruption' is possible within hours of the day. 

School, government offices and the Philippine Stock Exchange were reportedly closed as a precaution and the aviation officials have further reportedly stated that they were working to resume flights at Manila's main international airport. According to reports, almost 8,000 residents were ordered to evacuate, with approximately 6,000 out of danger zone. The ashes that gushed out of the lava reportedly reached as far as the province of Cavite, directly south of Manila and covered much of the surrounding area. 

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There have been no reports of casualties or major damage from the eruption yet, however, police reported that more than 13,000 villagers have also moved to evacuation centres in the hard-hit province of Batangas and Cavite province. The evacuation numbers are still expected to rise as there are still some residents who could not move out of ash-blanketed villages due to a lack of transport and poor visibility immediately. The Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology further warned citizens and tourists to be alert to the possibility of a volcanic tsunami and volcanic matter that could hit areas around Taal Lake. 

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Disaster-prone country

Taal's last eruption was back in 1977 and it is one of the world's smallest volcanoes. It is also among two dozen active volcanoes in the Philippines, which lies along the so-called Pacific 'Ring of fire'. Taal is also located in a seismically active region that is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Philipines also faces about 20 typhoons and other major storms each year and therefore making it one of the world's most disaster-prone countries. 

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