Lava gushes from volcano near Manila; thousands flee

An erupting volcano spewed lava into the air and spread ash across the Philippines on Monday, as desperate residents packed up their belongings and waited for help, while others fled so quickly they left behind their sandals.

In one town, officials had to abandon evacuation centers and rework their plans after its location was deemed too risky.

Thousands have sought safer ground as the Taal volcano erupts for the first time since 1977, blowing clouds of ash as far away as Manila, 60 miles to the north. Officials have warned that the volcano, which sits on an island in a lake and is among the Philippines’ most active, could reach a hazardous “Level 5” incident — involving an ongoing magma eruption — within hours or days.

The volcano’s ructions intensified on Sunday, prompting the provincial government in Batangas to declare a state of calamity. There have been no confirmed reports of casualties so far.

Manila’s airport resumed partial operations on Monday after being closed for about a day, affecting hundreds of flights. President Rodrigo Duterte had been delayed in returning to Manila from his hometown of Davao, but was able to make the trip Monday, his spokesman told the AP.

Face masks were in short supply across the capital. Government offices and schools closed early, and some suspended Tuesday classes as well, Reuters reported.

In the lakeside town of Taal, where a mandatory evacuation order is in force, Mayor Pong Mercado said Monday his government had to abandon 11 evacuation centers and move to a larger city as it was too close to the volcano.

Under a gray sky and with frequent tremors jolting the ground, many residents gathered their belongings and waited to be rescued.

“The traffic [is at] a turtle’s pace because of the ashfall. It’s thick, almost zero visibility,” said Mercado. “It’s okay for now because it’s daytime — it will be harder to see at night.”

Evacuees without cars were making their way out by foot on muddy roads, their children and pets in tow. Some also ushered out their livestock, while farmers lamented to the local press that the loss of their animals would affect their livelihood.

At a school-turned-shelter in the town of Bauan, church volunteer Gia Pauline Fabie, 24, estimated that more than 60 evacuees had arrived, some from Taal. She said there were a lot of children — one of whom she noticed had lost a flipflop during the rush of evacuation.

“When they arrived, the first thing they asked for were toiletries because they wanted to take a bath,” said Fabie.

Church workers were scouring the town and collecting people without anywhere else to stay the night.

Taal is among more than 20 active volcanoes in the Philippines, which sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

GERRARD CARREON / ASSOCIATED PRESS Residents wait to be evacuated as heavy ash and debris from the Taal volcano eruption continues to rain down on their town in Talisay, Batangas, in the southern Philippines on Monday.