Flights grounded in the Philippines as volcano at risk of imminent eruption

Thousands were ordered to leave Tagaytay near Manila as the risk surrounding the Taal volcano rose

Residents look at the erupting Taal Volcano in Tagaytay City, Philippines, on January 13, 2020. Reuters

A family evacuates to safer grounds. AP Photo

A family walks along a road covered with ash from Taal volcano. AP Photo

Police officers guard a road in Talisay, Batangas. Reuters

A worker hoses down plants covered with mud and ash after Taal volcano erupted, in Talisay town, Batangas. AFP

A dog left in a garage covered with ashes barks in Talisay. Reuters

A bird sits atop a roof covered with ashes in Talisay. Reuters

Residents living near the erupting Taal Volcano evacuate in Lemery, Batangas City. Reuters

Evacuating residents living at the foot of Taal volcano unload their belongings from an outrigger canoe while the volcano spews ash as seen from Tanauan town in Batangas. AFP

Ash deposits surround homes, a day after the eruption of Taal Volcano, in Agoncillo town in Batangas province. EPA

Ash spews into the air from the Taal Volcano in Talisay, Batangas. EPA

Residents living near the errupting Taal Volcano evacuate in Agoncillo, Batangas City. Reuters

Ashfall after the eruption of the Taal volcano is seen in Tagaytay City, Cavite. Reuters

Ashfall after the eruption of the Taal volcano is seen in Tagaytay City, Cavite. Reuters

A man cleans a roof after a volcano eruption in Talisay, Batangas. EPA

A man throws out ash deposits that accumulated on the roof of his home, a day after the eruption of Taal Volcano, in Agoncillo town in Batangas. EPA

Ash and steam spews into the air, a day after the eruption of Taal Volcano, in Agoncillo town in Batangas province. EPA

A man walks along ash fall covered plants and equipment as Taal Volcano continues to spew ash on Monday. AP Photo

A youth living at the foot of Taal volcano rides an outrigger canoe while the volcano spews ash as seen from Tanauan town in Batangas. AFP

A rooster crows as he is covered in ash from Taal Volcano's eruption Monday. AP Photo

A motorcycle rider navigates through a muddy road after a volcano eruption in Talisay, Batangas. EPA

Policemen walk past a damaged post after a volcano eruption in Talisay, Batangas. EPA

A child is carried onboard a rescue vehicle after a volcano eruption in Talisay, Batangas. EPA

Villagers ride a rescue vehicle after a volcano eruption in Talisay, Batangas. EPA

A drug store puts up a sign of masks not available in Makati south of Manila, Philippines. EPA

People take photos of a phreatic explosion from the Taal volcano as seen from the town of Tagaytay in Cavite province. AFP

Lightning strikes as a column of ash surrounds the crater of Taal Volcano as it erupts on January 12, 2020. Getty Images

An ash column from Taal Volcano looms over Tagaytay city, Philippines. EPA

Residents walk along a road covered in ash mixed with rainwater as Taal Volcano erupts on January 12, 2020 in Talisay, Batangas province, Philippines. Getty Images

An ash column from erupting Taal Volcano looms over Tagaytay city, Philippines. EPA

A vehicle covered in ash mixed with rainwater. Getty Images

A phreatic explosion from the Taal volcano is seen from the town of Tagaytay in Cavite province, southwest of Manila. AFP

Residents evacuate as Taal Volcano erupts, in Tagaytay, Cavite province, outside Manila, Philippines. AP Photo

A man uses an umbrella to shield him from ashfalls as Taal Volcano erupts in Tagaytay, Cavite province, outside Manila, Philippines. AP Photo

Residents use plastic bags to shield themselves from ash mixed with rainwater as Taal Volcano erupts in Talisay, Batangas province, Philippines. Local authorities have begun evacuating residents near Taal Volcano as it began spewing ash up to a kilometre high Sunday afternoon. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has raised the alert level to three out of five, warning of the volcano's continued "magmatic unrest." Getty Images

Residents walk along a road covered in ash mixed with rainwater as Taal Volcano erupts in Talisay, Batangas province, Philippines. Getty Images

People watch as the Taal volcano spews ash and smoke during an eruption in Tagaytay, Cavite province south of Manila, Philippines. AP Photo

A resident splashes water on a vehicle covered in ash mixed with rainwater as Taal Volcano erupts. Getty Images

Plumes of smoke and ash rise from as Taal Volcano. AP

Villagers take shelter inside a church during an eruption of Taal Volcano, in Talisay, Batangas, Philippines. Thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate as authorities in the Philippines raised the alert due to increased activity of Taal volcano, located on an island near Manila. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) raised the alert level from 1 to 3 - on a scale of 5 - after an increase in activity in the crater resulted in an eruption spewing steam and ash up to one-kilometre-high. EPA

A view of a lightning strike over Taal Volcano during an eruption, in Talisay, Batangas, Philippines. Thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate as the authorities in the Philippines raised the alert due to increased activity of Taal volcano, located on an island near Manila. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) raised the alert level from 1 to 3 - on a scale of 5 - after an increase in activity in the crater resulted in an eruption spewing steam and ash up to one-kilometer-high. EPA

A volcano south of the Philippine capital Manila spewed a giant ash plume accompanied by rumbling sounds and tremors on Sunday, prompting authorities to order about 8,000 residents to leave.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level at the rumbling Taal volcano to “level 4”, indicating a hazardous eruption was “imminent”.

The highest alert level is 5, hoisted when magmatic eruption is underway.

Dozens of international and domestic flights were put on hold for at least four hours on Sunday night at Manila’s international airport “due to volcanic ash in the vicinity of the airport” and nearby air routes, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said.

The airport shut down completely on Monday, leaving 240 flights cancelled. An alternative airport north of Manila in Clark remained open, but authorities said it would be shut too if ash threatened visibility.

The Institute said it strongly recommended that people flee the area around the Taal volcano and two nearby “high-risk” municipalities in Batangas province.

It warned of “possible hazards of pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami”.

The country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council told reporters an evacuation of the area has begun, led by local government officials.

The volcano spewed ash that generated a 1-kilometre plume and fell on communities nearby, the Institute said.

About 8,000 residents were at risk and needed to leave immediately, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said, citing the Institute’s data and recommendations.

Renelyn Bautista, 38, from Laurel town in Batangas province, said she immediately fled her home with her two children, one only 4 months old, after Taal erupted and the ground shook mildly twice.

“We hurriedly evacuated when the air turned muddy because of the ashfall and it started to smell like gunpowder,” Bautista said.

Taal lies more than 60 kilometres south of Manila, on an island in the middle of Taal Lake.

The head of the Institute, Renato Solidum, advised communities around the lake to take precautionary measures and beware of possible water disturbances related to the volcanic activity.

He said the entire island should be strictly off-limits to all residents.

Heavy ashfall also reached the province of Cavite, prompting the provincial government to suspend classes on Monday and urge residents to stay indoors.

The phreatic explosion and ash plume were visible from the nearby city of Tagaytay, a popular spot for viewing the volcano to which tourists flock at weekends.

“We were having lunch when we heard rumbling. We saw the volcano erupting. It rained and some small pebbles fell to the ground,” Jon Patrick Yen, a restaurant customer in Tagaytay, told Reuters.

“I did not expect to see such spectacle. We just went by to eat.”