Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in the Philippines this Saturday due to the eruption of a volcano that ejected ash and smoke hundreds of meters high.
The volcano Languagewhich is located within a lake south of Manila, had a short, sudden rashThe Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a statement. He also warned that new eruptions were possible that could release dangerous gases, ash and volcanic debris, as well as cause a tsunami.
For this reason, the Institute recommended “strongly” evacuating residents in vulnerable areas around the lake. Residents of five townships were evacuated from their homes, regional civil defense spokesman Kelvin John said.
According to official data, more than 12 thousand people were affected by the eruption of the volcano.
The Taal is one of the most active volcanoes in a country regularly impacted by eruptions and earthquakes due to its location on the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an area of high seismic intensity.
The initial eruption was followed by “nearly continuous phreatomagmatic activity” that released plumes of smoke 1,500 meters above sea level.
These types of eruptions occur when molten rock comes into contact with groundwater or surface water, said Princess Cosalan, a scientist at the agency. AFPwho compared what happened to the effect of pouring “water into a hot pan”.
Cosalan explained that smoke and ash emissions ended hours after the initial eruption, but that the agency’s sensors continued to detect volcanic earthquakeswhich could be a new episode.