Magma movement to determine if Taal will have hazardous eruption: Solidum
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Renato Solidum said it is uncertain whether a hazardous eruption of Taal Volcano will occur soon.
"It can happen or it may not, depending on the future magma movement and the escalation of the volcano's activity. What we have been observing since yesterday are just productions of eruption columns," explained Solidum in an interview over DZMM Monday morning.
However, Solidum said they are not ruling out the possibility of having an explosive eruption. He urged residents to evacuate to safer places due to danger of ashes with gas and rocks that might cover the mainland due to continuous volcanic activity.
"We cannot say there's one pattern we need to look at but as long as there's magma movement from below, then there's the potential of having it explosively erupt. It's possible the incoming magma may not be explosive, it will just emit lava out of the crater or fissure if in case there are fissures created. There are various possibilities," he added.
Alert level four has been raised Sunday evening, hours after the first few volcanic activities were monitored around 11 am.
According to National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) through their alert messages, as of 3:20 am Monday ashfall from the ongoing Taal eruption has fallen in Tanauan, Batangas; Escala, Tagaytay; Sta. Rosa, Laguna; Dasmarinas, Bacoor, Silang in Cavite; Malolos, San Jose, Del Monte, Meycauayan in Bulacan; and Antipolo, Rizal.
Layers of ash have reached Muntinlupa, Las Pinas, Marikina, Paranaque, Pasig, Quezon City, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Manila, Makati City and Taguig City.
Eruption of large rock fragments with 2 to 64 mm diameter have also been reported and was seen in cities near the volcano. Cristina Eloisa Baclig/DMS
