Cracks, quakes abound at Philippine volcano

A tangle of cracks has opened up around an erupting volcano in the Philippines that has triggered hundreds of earthquakes and urgent pleas for residents to evacuate areas at risk of dangerous fissures and ashfall.

Police locked down three towns near Taal volcano, 40 miles south of Manila, to prevent residents from returning home. More than 82,000 people are sheltering in evacuation centers, the head of the military’s taskforce on Taal said. Still, thousands have refused to leave their homes or drifted back, even as the volcano spews plumes of ash and debris.

“Hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours to days,” the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a 5 p.m. bulletin, repeating warnings since Sunday, when Taal entered a period of intense unrest.

New cracks were observed in a dozen towns, along with the drying up of portions of the nearby Pansipit River, the agency said. Satellite images showed that the main crater lake has been drained and new vent craters have been formed, it added.

That’s a sign that magma could be rising from underground, the agency’s chief, Renato Solidum, said. Taal, which lies in the middle of a lake, is a tourist attraction and is among the nation’s most active volcanoes.

Dark gray, steam-laden plumes have risen above the main crater, and the eruptions precipitated 53 volcanic earthquakes in the 11 hours through 4 p.m. Wednesday, adding to the hundreds reported earlier in the week, the volcanology agency said.

“Such intense seismic activity probably signifies continuous magmatic intrusion beneath the Taal edifice, which may lead to further eruptive activity,” the agency added.

It’s difficult to predict how long the volcano could remain at the current heightened level of activity, said Mario Aurelio, director of the National Institute of Geological Sciences at the University of the Philippines. Previous eruptions suggest it could persist for weeks to months, he said.

The economic impact of the eruption is estimated at 7.6 billion pesos ($150 million) so far in Batangas province where the volcano is located, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said.

The government has “more than enough funds” to support affected localities, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said separately.

Jes Aznar / New York Times The village of Calauit is buried in ash on Taal volcano island in the Philippines. Officials warned that the erupting volcano was still threatening hundreds of thousands 40 miles south of Manila. Police locked down three towns to keep residents from coming back.