A Volcano In The Philippines Erupts. How Dangerous Is It?
A volcano near the Philippines capital, Manila has started to bubble and throw out lava on Monday
A volcano near the Philippines capital, Manila has started to bubble and throw out lava on Monday. Authorities have warned that further eruptive activity is possible to happen. It’s called the Taal Volcano and it is the second most active volcano in the Philippines which has recorded 34 eruptions in the last 450 years.
This latest eruption will affect hundreds of thousands of people. On Sunday night, The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) recorded at least 75 volcanic earthquakes caused by the volcano, which lies in the middle of a beautiful lake, 65 kilometers near Manila.
The alert level is at 4, which means that hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours to days.
Schools and government offices near the volcano have been closed, and some 8,000 people have already left their homes. As 200,000 people could be forced to leave if this warning continues. The Manila airports has also suspended all flights, as ash began collecting on the runway.
Earthquakes and volcanic activity are common in the Philippines, which lies along the Ring of Fire – a major zone where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.
It’s Complexicated
Taal is a complex volcano, which means it doesn’t have one vent or cone but several eruption points which have changed over time. It is actually called a “a volcano within a volcano”, which makes it very dangerous. The last eruption was in 1977, but a bad one was in 1911 which killed about 1,500 people.
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