Philippine volcanic institute raises alert level for Taal volcano

Manila: The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level for Taal volcano, near Manila, on Saturday due to "increasing unrest."

The institute raised the alert level for the volcano to 3 on a scale of 5 after the island volcano spewed plumes and logged earthquakes around 7.22 am. local time.

The institute said the volcano in Batangas province, 66 kilometers south of Manila, "generated a short-lived phreatomagmatic burst followed by a nearly continuous phreatomagmatic activity that generated plumes 1,500 meters accompanied by volcanic earthquakes."

"Magmatic intrusion" at the main crater "may further drive succeeding eruptions," the institute warned.

The institute urged the public to stay out of the volcano island. It also warned airplanes to avoid flying over it.

Taal volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines, last erupted in January 2020, displacing nearly 380,000 villagers and destroying many farms, houses and roads in the province.