Philippine 'Taal Volcano' Eruption... Evacuation Order for Thousands of Nearby Residents

Volcanic ash and steam emitted from Taal Volcano in the Philippines, which erupted on the morning of the 26th
[Photo by AP]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The Taal volcano in the Philippines erupted, prompting disaster authorities to issue evacuation orders to thousands of residents.

On the 26th, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology announced that the Taal volcano, located about 65 km south of the capital Manila, erupted at 7:22 a.m. that day. They explained that additional eruptions are expected, and there are concerns about damage caused by toxic gases and volcanic ash, as well as the possibility of a tsunami.

After the eruption of the Taal volcano, steam magma continued to be emitted, rising up to 1.5 km above the ground. Disaster authorities issued evacuation orders to thousands of residents in five vulnerable villages near the volcano and deployed police to block access to dangerous areas.

According to recent official counts, approximately 12,000 people live near the Taal volcano. Authorities also raised the volcanic activity alert level from level 2 to level 3. Level 3 means that magma is close to or at the surface, indicating that a dangerous eruption could occur within weeks.

Previously, the Taal volcano caused a large-scale eruption in January two years ago, sending volcanic ash up to 15 km into the sky. In July last year, signs of an eruption appeared, and a level 3 alert was issued at that time as well.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.