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Taal Volcano in the Philippines erupted on 12 January, causing multiple earthquakes. It is the most lethal of the Philippines' 21 active volcanoes, and has caused at least 6,000 deaths in its history. Taal is located on the island of Luzon and is a volcano complex, consisting of Taal Lake with several islands.
- 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
The volcano sprang to life on Thursday and has been discharging sulphur dioxide for the past week, creating a haze over Manila.
Pre-emptive evacuations that began late on Thursday involved residents in five high-risk villages. More than 14,000 people may have to be moved eventually.
Taal’s alert status was moved to level 3 on the 5-level scale after it spewed kilometre-high plume of gas and steam.
The provinces of Batangas and Cavite, three hours’ drive south of Manila, were just beginning to recover from January’s eruption. Then came the pandemic.
A major explosion of the Philippines’ restive Taal volcano no longer appears imminent.
Residents of towns near Taal Volcano in the Philippines want life to return to normal, venting their frustrations against scientists for maintaining the Level 4 alert.
Officials have now launched a crackdown on residents returning to gather possessions and has decided alternative housing will need to be found long-term
The factory can produce up to 5,000 bricks a day, which will be used to rebuild schools damaged by Taal Volcano’s eruption.
Volcanic activity at Taal has ‘generally waned’, but there have been more than 100 tremors since Wednesday, indicating that magma is still rising.
The erupting volcano has also caused some US$11 million in losses for farmers in surrounding provinces, as tourists stay away.
With an eruption imminent, Philippine officials are racing against time to evacuate people living near the volcano, but some residents are staying put.
Officials also sought to dissuade vendors from selling protective face masks at inflated prices after cloud of volcanic ash blew north to Manila.
Lava, lightning and a smell of sulphur amid apocalyptic scenes in the Philippines, but for some an eerie calm has descended.
Sunday’s explosion could develop into a more violent, destructive blast, a frightening prospect given Taal has claimed 6,000 lives before.
At least 25,000 people have been evacuated and Manila’s airport remains closed, with over 500 flights cancelled and no space for incoming flights until stranded planes fly out.
Manila airport has temporarily suspended flights and over 6,000 nearby residents have been told to evacuate after authorities raised the risk of an eruption.