Taal Volcano erupts, 6,000 evacuated

Credit to Author: Dempsey Reyes| Date: Sun, 12 Jan 2020 16:16:03 +0000

Some 6,346 residents were evacuated on Sunday as Taal Volcano in Batangas erupted, sending a one-kilometer plume of ash into the air, and spawning an ashfall that reached as far as Metro Manila.

Mark Timbal, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council spokesman, said while they were still waiting for exact figures from authorities on the ground, evacuations had been enforced in three Batangas towns — San Nicolas, Balete and Talisay — which are all near the volcano.

The evacuees were brought to predetermined evacuation centers by at least 20 Army trucks.

Taal Volcano straddles the towns of Talisay and San Nicolas and last erupted in 1977.

“The Batangas provincial DRRMC’s (Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council) Taal Volcano contingency plan is being implemented now,” he told reporters in a message thread.

A plume of ash rises from Taal’s crater on Sunday. PHOTO BY RICHARD ESTACIO

Steam being released by Taal Volcano contains a lethal gaseous component, according to Timbal.

“This is the reason why we reiterated our reminder that the main crater island are off limits, as well as areas that are having fissures,” he added.

Timbal said there were around 6,000 to 10,000 people in the three municipalities on the island, citing the 2017 population projection.

The provincial DRRMC confirmed ongoing evacuation of residents in nearby areas.

It, however, said they were still gathering figures on the number of residents who had been evacuated.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) had raised Alert Level 3 over Taal Volcano at 4 p.m. also on Sunday and recommended the evacuation of residents.

Later in the night, the level was further upgraded to 4, which means an hazardous was imminent.

Phivolcs Officer in Charge Renato Solidum Jr. said they particularly called for the evacuation in high-risk barangay (villages) of Agoncillo and Laurel towns as a precautionary measure in case volcanic activity escalates.

“As of 4 p.m. officially, we are now raising the Alert Level from 2 to Alert Level 3. This means that there is magmatic inclusion that is likely driving the current activity of Taal Volcano and the Phivolcs is strongly recommending Taal Volcano and high-risk barangay of Agoncillo and Laurel to be evacuated due to the possible hazards of pyroclastic density currents or what we call pyroclastic flow and possible lake water insulation or volcanic tsunami,” Solidum explained in an interview over CNN Philippines.

He said people were advised to evacuate as soon as possible since Taal Volcano is inside a bigger basin or lake, making it more difficult for people to move immediately.

Solidum added that sudden escalation of earthquake activity has been observed since 11 a.m., which culminated in phreatic or steam-generated explosion.

As of 2 p.m., the volcanic activity surged.

In a separate bulletin, the Phivolcs said Taal’s main crater sent an eruption plume, which was 1-kilometer high, accompanied by volcanic tremor and felt earthquakes on Volcano Island and Agoncillo town at 2:04 p.m.

Ashfall was also observed on the southwest sector of the volcano, it added.

Phivolcs said the entire Volcano Island is a permanent danger zone and entry into the island as well as the high-risk barangay of Agoncillo and Laurel is prohibited.

“In addition, communities around the Taal Lake shores are advised to take precautionary measures and be vigilant of possible lakewater disturbances related to the ongoing unrest,” it added.

Solidum advised the aviation sector of the danger from the volcanic ash that can affect aircraft engines.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) issued Notice-to-airmen because of the “existence and horizontal/vertical extent of volcanic ash cloud” that reached up to 45,000 feet from the surface.

“Due to volcanic ash clouds present at major Philippine air traffic ways after the recen t explosion of Taal Volcano in Batangas earlier this afternoon, the CAAP has suspended all activities at NAIA in nearby Pasay City,” the CAAP said in a Viber statement.

Some of the routes that planes should avoid flying are Airway A461 from Manila to San Jose, Airway B473 from Manila over Lipa, and Airway B472 from Manila over Lipa.

Flight routes from Manila to Cebu were also reported to have been affected by the volcanic ash cloud, the CAAP said.

It added that there is an alternate route available, which is “slightly to the west.”

The CAAP, as of 7 p.m., said all arrival and departure flights from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) are “suspended due to volcanic ash in the vicinity of the airport from Jan. 12, 2020 at 7 p.m. (arrival) and 6:22 p.m. (departure) until Jan. 12, 2020 at 11 p.m” estimated time.

Aviation authorities are not ruling out the possibility of redirecting all NAIA arriving flights to Clark International Airport in Pampanga.

CAAP Director General Jim Sydiongco and Deputy Director General Don Mendoza discussed plans on handling Manila’s current airway situation in view of the volcanic eruption.

Classes in the province of Cavite have been suspended on Monday, amid the ashfall from Taal.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Cavite Gov. Juanito Victor Remulla Jr. urged residents to stay indoors.

In a Facebook Live video from the Hong Kong International Airport, Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso announced the suspension of classes in public and private schools at all levels in the city of Manila, after receiving reports of ash falls across Metro Manila.

REPORTS FROM ARIC JOHN SY CUA, DIVINA NOVA JOY DELA CRUZ AND BENJAMIN L. VERGARA

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