Philippine volcano near capital spews ash and gas

A small volcano in a scenic lake near the Philippine capital belched a white plume of steam and ash 1.5km (1 mile) into the sky in a brief explosion Saturday, prompting authorities to raise the alert level and urge thousands of residents to protectively evacuate from high-risk villages.

Magma came into contact with water in the main crater of Taal volcano in Batangas province, setting off the steam-driven blast that was followed by smaller emissions and accompanied by volcanic earthquakes, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

The institute raised the alarm at the 1,020-foot (311-meter) Taal, one of the world’s smallest volcanoes, to the third level in a five-step warning system, meaning “there is magmatic intrusion at the main crater that may further drive succeeding eruptions.”

Residents of five lakeside villages in the Batangas towns of Agoncillo and Laurel were warned of possible hazards, including fast-moving gas and molten materials and “volcanic tsunami” in the volcanic lake, and urged to evacuate to safer areas.

“It was a powerful burst but now the volcano has calmed down,” Laurel Mayor Joan Amo told The Associated Press by telephone, adding that about 8,000 residents in high-risk villages in her town were ready to be moved to safety if the volcanic unrest continues.

Renato Solidum of the government’s volcanology institute said it remains to be seen if Taal would suddenly grow more restive or settle down.

“If we see that there is no escalation or the trend is downward” after two weeks of close monitoring, the institute may decide to lower the alert level, Solidum told The AP.