The Philippines increased the alert level on Taal Volcano, south of Manila, warning of eruptions and urging people in nearby areas to evacuate. Taal’s alert status was raised to level 3 on a five-level scale after it spewed kilometer-high steam and fragments on Thursday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said. Magma at the main crater “may further drive succeeding eruptions,” it added. The agency also recommended that villages near the volcano be evacuated “due to possible hazards of pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami.” Taal Volcano erupted last year, forcing thousands to flee and causing volcanic fallout to reach Manila.
