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WORLD NEWS Monday 13 January 2020

Volcano erupts near Manila;

villagers flee, airports shut

By AARON FAVILA and JIM Renelyn Bautista, a 38-year- turbances related to the
GOMEZ old housewife who was ongoing unrest."
Associated Press among thousands of resi- Heavy to light ashfall was
TAGAYTAY, Philippines (AP) dents who fled from Batan- reported in towns and
— A small volcano near gas province's Laurel town, cities several kilometers
the Philippine capital that said she hitched a ride to (miles) from the volcano,
draws tourists for its pic- safety from her home with and officials advised resi-
turesque setting in a lake her two children, includ- dents to stay indoors and
erupted with a massive ing a 4-month-old baby, don masks and goggles
plume of ash and steam after Taal erupted and the for safety. Motorists were
Sunday, prompting the ground shook mildly. hampered by poor visibil- Lightning strikes beside the ash cloud as Taal Volcano erupts
Sunday Jan. 12, 2020, in Tagaytay, Cavite province, outside
evacuation of tens of thou- "We hurriedly evacuated ity, which was worsened by Manila, Philippines.
sands of people and forc- when the air turned muddy rainy weather.q Associated Press
ing Manila's international because of the ashfall and
airport to shut down. it started to smell like gun-
The Philippine Institute of powder," Bautista said by
Volcanology and Seismol- phone.
ogy said Taal Volcano in Fallen ash covered the run-
Batangas province south of ways at Manila's interna-
Manila blasted steam, ash tional airport Sunday night.
and pebbles up to 10 to All departing and arriving
15 kilometers (6 to 9 miles) international and domes-
into the sky in a dramatic tic flights were suspended
escalation of its growing "due to volcanic ash in the
restiveness, which began vicinity of the airport" and
last year. The volcanology nearby air routes, the Civil
institute raised the danger Aviation Authority of the
level around Taal three Philippines said.
notches on Sunday to level Aviation officials also or-
4, indicating "a hazardous dered the closure of Clark
eruption may happen with- International Airport north
in hours or days," said Re- of the capital after ash fell
nato Solidum, who heads in the area. Authorities said
the volcanology institute. they were considering di-
Level 5, the highest, means verting flights to unaffect-
a hazardous eruption is un- ed airports outside Manila.
derway and could affect a Norwegian Tonny Roger,
larger area. who had flown to the Phil-
There were no immediate ippines to visit his wife, said
reports of injuries or dam- he wasn't happy that his
age, but authorities scram- flight back to Norway was
bled to evacuate more canceled, but he thought
than 6,000 villagers from of the bright side.
an island in the middle of "Well, I can see her more. I
a lake, where the volcano will go back to her now," he
lies, and tens of thousands told The Associated Press at
more from nearby coastal Manila's international air-
towns, officials said. About port.
300,000 people were tar- The volcanology institute
geted to be moved to reminded the public that
safety in Batangas over- the small island where the
night and in the next few volcano lies is a "permanent
days. danger zone," although
"We have asked people fishing villages have exist-
in high-risk areas, includ- ed there for years. It asked
ing the volcano island, to nearby coastal communi-
evacuate now ahead of ties "to take precautionary
a possible hazardous erup- measures and be vigilant
tion," Solidum said. of possible lake water dis-