The Taal Volcano in the Philippines has erupted, with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) authorities announcing a low alert level.
Located 70 kilometers south of central Manila, the volcano erupted steam that reached heights of over 2 kilometers. Despite being one of the world’s smallest active volcanoes at 311 m, its weaker eruptions have impacted the capital and air travel several times before.
PHIVOLCS Chief Teresito Bacolcol informed Reuters that the alert level remains at the lowest on the scale, with no reported injuries in the area. He characterized the eruption as phreatomagmatic, indicating that the volcano expelled both magmatic gases and steam from groundwater.
Moreover, Bacolcol said that the phreatomagmatic eruption “was limited at the volcano island.” Nevertheless, PHIVOLCS is investigating if there is ashfall on the eastern side.
Taal Volcano is situated inside a large lake in the town of Tagaytay in Cavite province. It has erupted deadly before, killing over 1,300 people in 1911. In 2021, people were forced to evacuate after it spewed gas and steam at 1 km high.
Just a year earlier, the volcano erupted ash and steam 15 km high, forcing 100,000 people to evacuate.
