Taal Volcano records more eruptions, upwelling activities Thursday night

July 2 ------ Taal Volcano on Thursday night had four more phreatomagmatic eruptions as well as upwelling activities on Thursday evening, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has said. In its update, state volcanologists said the short phreatomagmatic bursts lasted two minutes each and generated short jetted plumes that rose 200 meters above the main crater lake.

"These events occurred at 6:26 PM, 7:21 PM, 7:41 PM and 8:20 PM. Upwelling of the Main Crater Lake that began at 8:07 PM tonight is ongoing," PHIVOLCS said. Earlier, PHIVOLCS raised Taal Volcano's alert level from 2 to 3 after it erupted and gave rise to a kilometer-high phreatomagmatic plume at past 3 p.m. Authorities immediately conducted evacuations among residents living near danger zones.

PHIVOLCS, likewise, advised that high-risk barangays of Bilibinwang and Banyaga in Agoncillo and Boso-boso, Gulod and eastern Bugaan East in Laurel, Batangas must be evacuated "due to the possible hazards of pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami should stronger eruptions subsequently occur." Entry into Agoncillo and Laurel towns in Batangas must also be banned amid the Taal Volcano unrest, PHIVOLCS added.

Source: gmanetwork.com