DevonDiver
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There's an alert (grade 2 with small scale evacuation) because of the Taal Volcano, near Tagaytay. If it erupts, it could disrupt/prevent Manila to Anilao/Batangas for a while.
If you're planning on travelling to those locations, it'd be worth following the news.
If you're planning on travelling to those locations, it'd be worth following the news.
Alert level at Taal raised
By Evelyn Macairan (The Philippine Star) Updated April 10, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (1)
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) yesterday raised the alert level at the Taal volcano to 2, saying the present activity at the volcano could lead to an eruption.
Phivolcs issued a bulletin yesterday advising the public to stay away from the main crater, the Daang Kastila trail and Mt. Tabaro, site of the deadly eruption in 1965.
These areas, Phivolcs said, are strictly off-limits because sudden hazardous steam-driven explosions may occur and high concentrations of toxic gases may accumulate. Breathing air with high concentration of gases can be lethal to humans, animals and even cause damage to vegetation.
With this alert status, the present activities could eventually lead to an eruption, it added.
The volcano monitoring bureau added that magma has also been intruding toward the surface.
Phivolcs added the entire island where the volcano is situated is a permanent danger zone and any settlement is strictly prohibited.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) also declared the areas surrounding the volcano off-limits to local and foreign tourists.
NDRRMC executive officer Benito Ramos said the Daang Kastila, an uphill trail toward the volcanos crater, and Mt. Tabaro have been closed to all visitors.
The NDRRMC increased its level of disaster preparedness in and around Taal lake to alert level 2 following the recommendation of Phivolcs.
There is no order yet of evacuation but we are doing all these disaster preparation (measures) because the volcano is showing signs of an imminent eruption, Ramos said.
In the event of an eruption, several coastline municipalities around Taal lake in Batangas, Tagaytay City in Cavite would be affected, Ramos said.
This developed as Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto called a meeting with local officials to draw up an evacuation plan in the event that Taal volcano erupts.
Local officials from Lipa City and the towns of Talisay, Laurel, San Nicolas, Mataas na Kahoy, Tanauan, Agoncillo, Cuenca, Sta. Teresita and Alitagtag attended the pre-disaster preparations with Santos-Recto.
Phivolcs said there were four significant changes on the status of the Taal volcano that warranted the increase of the warning, adding that the seismic activity of the volcano continued to worsen.
The number of volcanic earthquakes detected gradually rose and the depths of the plotted quakes were becoming shallow (one to four kilometers). There is also an increase in the number of perceptible quakes.
During the past 24 hours, two quakes were felt at the volcano island with intensities ranging from 2 to 3, one of them accompanied by a rumbling sound.
A total of 21 volcanic quakes were detected by the seismic network in the last 24 hours, Phivolcs said.
Secondly, gas measurements conducted at the Taal main crater lake yielded carbon dioxide emission flux of 1,875 tons per day (t/d) in February 2011 and 4,670 t/d during the last week of March. The remarkable increase in carbon dioxide concentration indicates its release from the magma at depth.
Phivolcs added the result of the ground deformation survey conducted around the volcano island this week showed that the volcano edifice is still inflated as compared to the February 2011 survey.
Phivolcs said steaming activities at the northern and northeast sides of the main crater occasionally intensified.
Sometimes, intensification of steaming activity is accompanied by an audible hissing sound.
Phivolcs said it would closely monitor the activity at Taal volcano and inform the public of any significant development. - With Jaime Laude, Arnell Ozaeta
