Philippine scientists warned on Sunday that a volcano south of Manila could erupt again “soon” as toxic gas emissions reached record highs and thousands of people in vulnerable communities fled their homes.
Mount Taal, located in a picturesque lake, emitted sulfur dioxide over the past week, creating a haze over Manila and several surrounding provinces, causing health warnings.
About 4,500 people have fled their homes after authorities called for evacuation from high-risk areas by the lake, the provincial emergency agency said on Sunday.
Some settlements are blocked, which temporarily prevents residents from returning to their possessions.
“An eruption similar to the event on July 1, 2021 may occur in the near future,” – said in a statement the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
Taal, located 50 kilometers south of Manila, came to life last Thursday, throwing steam and rock fragments hundreds of meters into the sky.
Several small eruptions followed.
This prompted the seismological agency to raise the alarm level from two to three.
The last eruption in January 2020 threw ash at a height of 15 kilometers and erupted hot lava, destroying many houses, killing livestock and sending more than 135,000 people to shelters.
Taal is one of the most active volcanoes in the country, which is periodically exposed to eruptions and earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” – a zone of intense seismic activity.