A volcano erupted in the Philippines on Saturday, spewing ash and fumes hundreds of metres, and authorities asked residents of nearby areas to leave, amid a tsunami warning.
The volcano Taal, located in a lake south of Manila, erupted "briefly" at 7:22 am local time, according to the "Agence France Presse" agency, quoting the statement of the Philippine Institute for Monitoring Volcanic Activity and Earthquakes.
The institute warned of more volcanic eruptions, which would release rapid emissions of gases, ash and rubble, and cause tsunami waves.
The agency "strongly" recommended residents residing in vulnerable areas around the lake to leave, and raised the alert level from two to three.
The initial eruption was followed by a "continuous phretomagmatic activity" that sent ash clouds to a height of 1,500 metres.
Frigomagmatic activity, or volcanic eruption, occurs when molten rock interacts with water underground or above its surface, according to the agency’s scientist, Princess Kosalan, likening this to pouring “water into a hot pan.”
Kosalan said emissions of smoke and fumes had subsided in the hours after the first eruption, but sensors continued to detect a volcanic earthquake, indicating a "possibility" of another eruption.
Residents of five villages have been asked to leave their homes, said Kelvin John Rees, a local civil defense spokesman.
More than 12,000 people reside in these villages, according to the latest official figures.
Police were deployed to prevent people from entering high-risk areas.
Taal volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in a country that frequently witnesses volcanic eruptions and earthquakes due to the Philippines' location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an area of high seismic activity.
Access to the island where the volcano is located, which was previously inhabited by thousands of people, has been prohibited since January 2020.
At that time, the eruption of the volcano sent ash clouds up 15 km and released lava, destroying a large number of homes and killing livestock, while tens of thousands of people were forced to flee to shelters.
Last July, the earthquake monitoring agency raised the alert level to three after the volcano erupted again.
Sulfur dioxide was emitted for several days, causing a thick cloud over the capital and neighboring provinces.
The alert level was reduced to two degrees before the eruption on Saturday.
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- Agencies