Thousands of people have been evacuated after a volcano in the Philippines emitted steam and ash.
The World Daily | News Desk JULY 2nd 2021
Taal volcano erupted near the capital of the Philippines - Manila. Dark plumes of steam and ash shot up from within a kilometre high into the sky. Local authorities ordered the evacuation of thousands of residents from high-risk areas.
The Philippine volcano erupted on Thursday. Government experts say the igneous material contacted with water in the main Taala crater in Batangas Province, causing a steam-driven eruption without the accompanying volcanic earthquake. They said it was unclear if the volcanic disturbances could lead to a full eruption.
"It's only one eruption, it's too early to tell," Renato Solidum of the Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said at a press conference. He added that three smaller steam-fuelled emissions took place on Thursday night.
Third degree alarm
A government agency issued a third level alert on a five-stage alert system, which means "magma is near or above the surface and its activity could lead to a dangerous eruption in a few weeks."
Mark Timbal, a spokesman for the government's disaster response agency, said authorities had started evacuating residents from five high-risk villages. In his opinion, up to 14,000 inhabitants will have to be temporarily moved from the vicinity of the dangerous volcano. Authorities are ordering residents to stay away from the small island in the picturesque lake where Taal is located and is considered a constant danger zone.
The ABS-CBN network broadcasted footage of some residents along with their belongings in cars and motorbikes lining up at a gas station. Residents said they felt no shocks but did smell the volcanic sulphur.
