Restive Philippine volcano prompts evacuation of thousands of residents

MANILA, Jan 12 (Reuters) - A volcano south of the Philippine
capital Manila spewed a giant ash plume accompanied by rumbling
sounds and tremors on Sunday, prompting authorities to raise the
alert level and order the evacuation of about 8,000 residents.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology
raised the alert level at the rumbling Taal volcano to "level
3", indicating "magmatic unrest" that could lead to a "hazardous
eruption in weeks". The highest alert is level 5, hoisted when
magmatic eruption is underway.
In an advisory, the Institute said it was strongly
recommending that people evacuate the area around the Taal
volcano, which is on an island in the middle of Taal lake, and
two nearby "high-risk" municipalities in Batangas province as it
warned of "possible hazards of pyroclastic density currents and
volcanic tsunami".
The country's National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Council told reporters that an evacuation of the area
has begun, led by local government officials.
The volcano spewed ash that generated a 1-km (0.6 mile) high
plume that later triggered ashfall in nearby communities, the
Institute said.
About 8,000 residents were at risk and needed to be
immediately evacuated, according to the National Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council, citing the Institute's data
and recommendations.
The head of the Institute, Renato Solidum, advised
communities around Taal lake to also take precautionary measures
and be vigilant of possible lake water disturbances related to
the volcanic activity.
Solidum said the entire island should be strictly off-limits
to all residents.
The heavy ash fall also reached the province of Cavite,
prompting the provincial government to suspend classes on
Monday and urge residents to stay indoors.
The phreatic explosion and ash plume were visible from the
nearby city of Tagaytay, a popular spot for viewing the volcano
and where tourists flock during weekends.
"We were having lunch when we heard rumbling. We saw the
volcano erupting. It rained and some small pebbles fell to the
ground," Jon Patrick Yen, a restaurant customer in Tagaytay,
told Reuters.
"I did not expect to see such spectacle. We just went by to
eat."