Volcano erupts near Manila; villagers flee, airports shut

TAGAYTAY, PHILIPPINES >> A small volcano near the Philippine capital that draws tourists for its picturesque setting in a lake erupted with a massive plume of ash and steam Sunday, prompting the evacuation of tens of thousands of people and forcing Manila’s international airport to close.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said Taal Volcano in Batangas province south of Manila blasted steam, ash and pebbles up to 6 to 9 miles into the sky in a dramatic escalation of its growing restiveness, which began last year.

The volcanology institute raised the danger level around Taal on Sunday to level 4, indicating “a hazardous eruption may happen within hours or days,” said Renato Solidum, who heads the volcanology institute.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, but authorities scrambled to evacuate more than 6,000 villagers from an island and tens of thousands more from nearby coastal towns, officials said.