Thousands flee after Philippine volcano erupts

LAUREL (Philippines) • Thousands of people fled their homes near a Philippine volcano yesterday after an eruption sent ash and steam hundreds of metres into the sky.

Taal volcano, which sits in a picturesque lake south of Manila, exploded with a "short-lived" burst at 7.22am local time, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a statement.

It warned further eruptions were possible, which it said could trigger dangerous, fast-moving volcanic flows of gas, ash and debris, as well as a tsunami.

Residents in five fishing and farming settlements around the lake were ordered to leave their homes, in the third mass evacuation in as many years around one of the country's most active volcanoes.

"It rained mud," said Ms Cornelia Pesigan, 25, who sought shelter at a school outside the 7km "danger zone". The mother-of-two added: "It smelled really bad and I had difficulty breathing."

The initial eruption was followed by "nearly continuous phreatomagmatic activity" that sent plumes stretching 1,500m into the air, the seismological agency said, raising the alert level from two to three on a scale of zero to five.

A phreatomagmatic eruption happens when molten rock comes into contact with underground or surface water, said Dr Princess Cosalan, a scientist at the agency, likening it to pouring "water on a hot pan".

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE