Taal Volcano’s Giant Ash Column Pushes Residents to Evacuate Homes,

[The Lawspeaker]

Taal Volcano’s Giant Ash Column Pushes Residents to Evacuate Homes, DOH Issues Health Advisory For Ashfall (https://www.esquiremag.ph/politics/news/taal-volcano-eruption-a00304-20200112)

The ashfall is said to have reached as far as Parañaque.

https://images.summitmedia-digital.com/esquiremagph/images/2020/01/12/Untitled%20design%20(1).jpg
IMAGE Mike Saragan



Volcanic lightning has started taking place at Taal Volcano, caused by a surge in electric discharge from the volcanic eruption.
Taal Volcano, located in Batangas, Philippines, started spewing ash earlier today, January 12, at 2 p.m. An ash column one-kilometer-high can be seen from Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas. Citizens have also reported the strong smell of sulfur throughout the three provinces. Ashfall is reported to have reached as far as Parañaque.

Following the phreatic or stream-driven explosion, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised the Alert Level 2, or “increasing unrest” at 2:30 p.m. This was later raised to Alert Level 3 at 4 p.m. due to “magmatic unrest.” At 7:30 p.m. the alert level was raised to a Level 4, meaning that "hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours to days."

Phivolcs explained that the active volcano’s main crater “has escalated its eruptive activity, generating an eruption plume one-kilometer-high, accompanied by volcanic tremor and felt earthquakes.”
Evacuations are underway for the closest and most high-risk neighborhoods near Taal, namely Balete, San Nicolas, Talisay, Laurel, and Agoncillo in Batangas.
The Department of Health has also issued a health advisory for those exposed to the ashfall.

https://images.summitmedia-digital.com/esquiremagph/images/2020/01/12/81930706_541705170021544_8955405028642783232_n.jpg
Photo by DOH.


Heavy traffic is taking place on SLEX's northbound route as citizens rush away from the eruption. The roads exiting Tagaytay are also said to be clogged. Meanwhile, all flights at Manila International Airport have been suspended (https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/721897/taal-eruption-puts-naia-flights-on-hold/story/)until further notice due to the eruption.

Despite being a popular tourist spot, Taal volcano is an active volcano. Its last eruption was in 1977. The volcano has experienced a number of volcanic earthquakes and seismic activity since then, but the most recent development is the most active the volcano has been in decades.

Taal is a complex volcano as its crater is located in the middle of a lake, in the middle of an island, in the middle of the larger Taal Lake, which is bordered by the provinces of Batangas and Cavite.
See more photos of the ash column down below:
https://images.summitmedia-digital.com/esquiremagph/images/2020/01/12/82820038_607660966659252_8291221802701553664_n.jpg
Photo by PJ Cana.


https://images.summitmedia-digital.com/esquiremagph/images/2020/01/12/82804081_484175688962314_8381557613615120384_n.jpg
Photo by PJ Cana.


https://images.summitmedia-digital.com/esquiremagph/images/2020/01/12/81902849_718002695689974_4003191269726617600_n.jpg
Photo by PJ Cana.

[The Lawspeaker]

ALERT LEVEL 4

Taal's period of 'intense unrest' continues —PHIVOLCS (https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/721940/95-of-talisay-residents-evacuated-due-to-taal-s-activity-mayor/story/)

Taal Volcano remains under Alert Level 4 on Monday amid the continuing "period of intense unrest," according to PHIVOLCS' latest bulletin. Alert Level 4 means that "hazardous explosive eruption" is possible within hours to days.

The PHIVOLCS said the volcano's initial phreatic or steam-driven activity which started on Sunday progressed into a magmatic eruption from 2:49 a.m. to 4:28 a.m. on Monday.
"This magmatic eruption is characterized by weak lava fountaining accompanied by thunder and flashes of lightning," the institute said in a bulletin.
Lava fountains were observed in Taal Volcano early Monday morning.
(https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/scitech/science/721936/taal-volcano-spews-lava-fountains/story/)
As of 5 a.m., a total of 75 volcanic earthquakes have also been recorded in Taal.

"Thirty-two of these earthquakes were felt with intensities ranging from Intensity II – V in Tagaytay City, Cabuyao, Laguna, Talisay, Alitagtag, Lemery and Bauan, Batangas," the PHIVOLCS said.

"Such intense seismic activity probably signifies continuous magmatic intrusion beneath the Taal edifice, which may lead to further eruptive activity."
Total evacuation of those at the volcano island was reiterated.

Those within the 14-kilometer radius from Taal Main Crater were also advised to evacuate due to high risks of pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami.
Meanwhile, residents in the general north of Taal volcano were advised to take precautionary measures for the effects of heavy and prolonged ashfalls.

The airspace around Taal Volcano must be avoided by aircraft as airborne ash and ballistic fragments from the eruption column pose hazards, the PHIVOLCS added.
Taal Volcano continues to spew ashes past 8 a.m. on Monday, according to PHIVOLCS-Tagaytay volcanologist Paolo Reniva.

"Tuloy-tuloy po 'yung emission... Karamihan po diyan sa mga ash emission ay may mga kasabay na paglindol na nararamdaman din dito po sa baba at sa taas ng Tagaytay," he said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

Over 7,000 have already been evacuated due to Taal Volcano's activity, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/721938/over-7-000-evacuated-in-calabarzon-due-to-taal-activity-ndrrmc/story/?just_in).
Classes and government work in affected areas meanwhile were suspended on Monday (https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/serbisyopubliko/walangpasok/721893/class-cancellations-for-monday-january-13-2020/story/). —Dona Magsino/KBK, GMA News

[The Lawspeaker]

Taal Volcano spews lava fountains (https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/scitech/science/721936/taal-volcano-spews-lava-fountains/story/)

Taal Volcano in Batangas spewed lava fountains around 3 a.m. on Monday, according to a report by Jonathan Andal on GMA News' Unang Balita.



LOOK: Taal Volcano, sunod-sunod na ang pagbuga ng lava mula bandang 3:30 am @gmanews (https://twitter.com/gmanews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) pic.twitter.com/j3ai1vk6PN (https://t.co/j3ai1vk6PN)
— Jonathan Andal (@JonathanAndal_) January 12, 2020 (https://twitter.com/JonathanAndal_/status/1216448730527911936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)



The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said this can be considered as low-level eruption.
The lava fountains were recorded before 3 a.m., at 3:20 a.m., and at 3:42 a.m. and lasted for around a minute at a time.
Loud sounds were also heard as the volcano spewed lava, and lightning also occurred.


PHIVOLCS said in its 3:50 a.m. bulletin that ashfall had fallen on the following areas:


Tanauan, Batangas
Escala, Tagaytay
Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Dasmariñas, Bacoor and Silang, Cavite
Malolos, San Jose del Monte, Meycauayan, Bulacan
Antipolo, Rizal
Muntinlupa
Las Piñas
Marikina
Parañaque
Pasig
Quezon City
Mandaluyong
San Juan
Manila
Makati
Taguig


It added that large rock fragments (lapilli) measuring 2 to 64 mm in diameter fell on Tanauan and Talisay in Batangas, Tagaytay City in Cavite and Nuvali and Sta. Rosa in Laguna.

Tagaytay City
Tagaytay City in Cavite had continuous ash fall, and with the rains which fell until midnight, the roads were covered with thick mud.
The city became almost a ghost town as many tourists already left on Sunday after Taal Volcano showed signs of activity.
Traffic was heavy from Tagaytay City to Sta. Rosa, Laguna and the South Luzon Expressway on Sunday.
Travel time from Tagaytay City to the municipality beside it, Silang, took six hours.

Meanwhile, some evacuees from the town of Talisay which is right beside the volcano walked all the way to Tagaytay.
A hospital in Tagaytay which is running on generator at the moment said it will transfer patients to hospitals in Laguna.
Thousands of residents evacuated (https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/721899/thousands-evacuate-as-taal-volcano-rumbles/story/) on Sunday after the volcano spewed a massive cloud of ash into the sky.


Classes, flights, work
Classes were canceled (https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/serbisyopubliko/walangpasok/721893/class-cancellations-for-monday-january-13-2020/story/) in several areas due to the ash fall.
Many flights were also canceled (https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/serbisyopubliko/transportation/721935/canceled-flights-on-monday-jan-13-2020/story/) as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport remains closed.
Government work in Metro Manila, the Calabarzon Region, and Region 3 for Monday, January 13, 2020 has been suspended (https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/721926/gov-t-work-for-monday-january-13-2020-suspended-in-ncr-calabarzon-region-3/story/) due to the ash hfall from Taal Volcano's phreatic explosion on Sunday. —KG,

[The Lawspeaker]

I have to admit: I am not sitting very comfortably now since my fiancee is only 44 kilometres away from the volcano.

[1R0N M4N XL]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2BOybrK0g0

[The Lawspeaker]

Lava gushes from volcano near Manila; tens of thousands flee (https://apnews.com/11cacd39a4aa509097d44d090e20c93d)

By JOEAL CALUPITAN and JIM GOMEZ
January 13, 2020

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TAGAYTAY, Philippines (AP) — Red-hot lava spewed from a volcano near the Philippine capital of Manila on Monday as tens of thousands of people fled through heavy ash and frightening tremors, and authorities made plans to evacuate hundreds of thousands more for fear of a bigger eruption.


Clouds of ash from the Taal volcano reached Manila, 65 kilometers (40 miles) to the north, on Sunday, forcing the shutdown of the country’s main airport, with more than 500 flights canceled. The airport partially reopened Monday after the ashfall eased.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m15jcAzi6k

There were no immediate reports of any deaths or major damage directly blamed on the eruption. A truck, however, skidded out of control on an ash-blanketed road, killing the driver and injuring three companions in Laguna province in an accident police said may have been linked to slippery conditions.

The government’s disaster-response agency and other officials reported more than 30,000 villagers fled their homes in the hard-hit province of Batangas and nearby Cavite province. Officials expected the number to swell.

Some residents could not immediately flee their ash-blanketed villages because of a lack of transportation and poor visibility. Others refused to leave their homes and farms.

“We have a problem — our people are panicking due to the volcano because they want to save their livelihood, their pigs and herds of cows,” Mayor Wilson Maralit of the town of Balete told DZMM radio. “We’re trying to stop them from returning and warning that the volcano can explode again any time and hit them.”


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbdXlFSUOWE&feature=emb_title

Maralit, whose town lies along the shoreline of Taal Lake, which surrounds the erupting volcano, appealed for troops and more police to stop people from sneaking back to their villages.
After a cleanup and a shift of ash-laden winds away from Manila, officials partially reopened the main airport and allowed planes to take off. President Rodrigo Duterte’s aircraft was able to land in Manila on Monday from his hometown of Davao, his spokesman said, adding he saw the extent of the disaster from the plane.

Taal suddenly rumbled back to life on Sunday, blasting steam, ash and pebbles up to 10 to 15 kilometers (6 to 9 miles) into the sky, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

On Monday, the ash and steam column reached a height of 2 kilometers (about a mile), with lava fountains spurting less than half of that height before falling into the lake waters surrounding the main crater. Lava also spurted from another vent north of the main crater, said Renato Solidum, who heads the institute.

Frequent tremors and a buildup of pressure of the 1,020-foot (311-meter) volcano, one of the world’s smallest, however, indicated a major and much more dangerous eruption could still happen, he said.

The government volcano-monitoring agency raised the danger level around Taal three notches on Sunday to Level 4, indicating a hazardous eruption within hours to days was possible. Level 5, the highest, means such an eruption is underway.

The volcano’s last disastrous eruption happened in 1965, when more than 200 people were killed.

Irene de Claro, a mother of four, worried about her father, who stayed behind in their village in Agoncillo while the rest of the family fled.
“My father is missing. We don’t know, too, what happened to our house because the ash was up to our knees, it was very dark and the ground was constantly shaking when we left,” de Castro said at a school in the town of Lemery. “Most likely there’s nothing for us to return to. We’re back to zero.”

The small island where the volcano lies has long been designated a “permanent danger zone,” though fishing villages have existed there for years. Those residents were all evacuated, volcanology officials said, adding that there should be a total evacuation, too, of endangered communities within a 14-kilometer (8.7-mile) radius of Taal,

Government work was suspended and schools closed in a wide swath of towns and cities, including Manila, because of the health risks from the ash.
Taal is regarded as the second-most restive of about two dozen active volcanoes in the Philippines, which lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. A long-dormant volcano, Mount Pinatubo, blew its top north of Manila in 1991 in one of the biggest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century, killing hundreds of people.
About 20 typhoons and other major storms each year also batter the Philippines, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.
___
Gomez reported from Manila. Associated Press journalists Kiko Rosario in Manila and Aaron Favila in Tagaytay contributed to this report.