ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES – Authorities closed schools in five cities and dozens of towns, and urged people to stay indoors, as a small but restive volcano near the Philippine capital Manila spewed above average sulphur dioxide and volcanic smog yesterday.
The volcanology and seismology institute said it observed upwelling of hot volcanic fluids in the Taal volcano’s crater lake, resulting in the emission of volcanic gases.
The alert remained at level one on a five-level scale, denoting a “slight increase in volcanic earthquake, and steam or gas activity”.
Located in a scenic lake in Batangas province near Manila, the 311-metre Taal is among the most active of 24 volcanoes in the Philippines.
In January 2020, it spewed a column of ash and steam as high as 15-kilometre, forcing more than 100,000 people to evacuate and dozens of flight cancellations as heavy ash fell as far away as Manila.
