Philippines city making bricks from volcanic ash to help others rebuild

With the city of Biñan, Laguna, the Philippines being engulfed in ash from the nearby volcano Taal, its residents have been collecting ash settled down on homes, cars and roads to pack it bags to be sent to a factory and be turned into bricks. According to reports, it is on order of the city's mayor Walfredo Dimaguila that people are collecting ash and sending it off to a state-owned factory. According to reports, the state-owned factory can make up to 5,000 bricks in a single day.

Bricks were quite sturdy in nature

While talking to an international media outlet, Dimaguila said that they had thought about exchanging the white sand they usually mix with plastic to make bricks with ash and the result gave them bricks that were quite sturdy in nature. The mayor further added that the plan was to make bricks and sell them to companies that were interested. He also said that when the province of Batangas is in the process of rebuilding, they will supply bricks for constructing community halls, schools and different centres.

Evacuation order issued on January 13

The local authorities of the Philippines had 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 evacuated from south of the capital city of Manila and hundreds of flights were grounded amid an alert for a possible 'explosive eruption'.

Read: Philippines' Taal Volcano Erupts For 7th Day

Schools, government offices and the Philippine Stock Exchange were reportedly closed as a precaution. 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, south of Manila and covered much of the surrounding area.

Read: Breathtaking Photos Capture Eruption Of Volcano Taal In Philippines

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.

Read: Philippine Volcano Shudders With Earthquakes

Read: Philippine Volcano's Quakes, Cracks Send More People Fleeing

(With inputs from agencies)