Nearly half a million residents living near the Philippine capital Manila were ordered to evacuate after Taal Volcano spewed ash up to nine miles into the air last January 12, 2020. Local experts have warned that and explosive eruption' may take place in hours, days, or weeks. Thus, the country has raised an alert Level 4 in those areas.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) have ordered a 'total evacuation of people living within a 17-kilometer radius around Taal Volcano in the Philippines, reported CNN. The area was referred to as a volcanic danger zone that is home to 450,000 residents.
Experts from PHIVOLCS claimed that a volcanic tsunami might occur in the lake enveloping the volcano. Moreover, lava had been spewing out of the volcano and is creating a 'big lava fountain'. This could cause hot ash and lava to spread around the given radius and its nearby towns, which urged the government to implement a mandatory evacuation.
It was also discussed that those living outside of the 17-kilometer radius are still at risk of health hazards due to the effects of the volcanic eruption. Ten cities and municipalities outside of the radius where 760,000 people live have experienced volcanic ash. This urged the government to cancel all flights at the capital's international airport, reported Channel News Asia.
It was also revealed that more than 25 million people living within a 100-kilometer radius from Taal Volcano could experience the effects of the eruption. These effects include volcanic ash in the air along with rain that when mixed together, could cause rooftops to collapse due to the heavy weight.
The PHIVOLCS added that the immediate evacuation is necessary because there may be immediate effects to the volcanic eruption. As of this morning, the Philippine government has set up temporary evacuation centers where more than 16,400 people have sought shelter. However, the report claimed that some residents who have family members in other parts of the country preferred to seek refuge outside the evacuation camps.
At present, federal authorities including the army who sent 20 military vehicles and 120 personnel to aid the evacuations had been on standby with helicopters. The Philippine Red Cross has also helped by sending rescue vehicles and providing the residents with basic necessities and other supplies.
According to the chief of volcano monitoring at PHIVOLCS, Taal Volcano had been showing signs that an eruption would occur since March of 2019. Nearby towns have experienced tremors during such time. However, experts of the organization claimed that the rapid speed of the eruption that occurred last Sunday was not expected.
