News Roundup 13 January 2020
Jan 13, 2020 • 2 min Read
Lava fountains now emanating from Taal Volcano’s northern flank | INQUIRER.NET – New lateral vents have opened up on the northern flank of Taal Volcano where short lava fountains emanate, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Monday afternoon. In its 4 p.m. update, Phivolcs said it observed new lateral vents on the northern flank of Taal Volcano where short 500-meter lava fountains are spewed from. “That means there are vents lined up on the northern flank of the volcano and it causes short lava fountains,” Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum said. “So now, the eruption is not only seen inside the crater but along the side of the volcano as well,” he added.
Best- to worst-case scenarios: Taal eruption may last from days to months | PHILSTAR.COM – If worse comes to worst, the eruption of Taal Volcano may last for months or even years, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). In an interview with radio dzMM, Phivolcs volcanic monitoring division chief Ma. Antonia Bornas said the volcano in Batangas province could erupt several times over a span of months or years after spewing ash that covered parts of Luzon. According to Bornas, this is the typical behavior of Taal Volcano and Phivolcs is preparing for a worst-case scenario that its eruption may last up to seven months like it did in 1754.
Residents brave Taal’s fury for pets, family | Manila Bulletin – AGONCILLO, Batangas–The thick layer of volcanic ash, the inescapable sulfuric odor, and intermittent earthquakes here should have given local residents a thousand reasons to leave. But for Recencio Reyes and Ruby Holgado, only one reason was needed for them to stay and brave Taal Volcano’s fury. Reyes, 60, was already enjoying the relative comforts of the evacuation center when he decided to walk back home along Talisay- Laurel- Agoncillo- Lemery Road to check on something very close to his heart — his two pet dogs. Further down the road was the Holgado residence, one of the very few homes whose residents refused to evacuate despite the ongoing calamity. “Twenty-five years na po kami dito. Bahala na po (We’ve been here for 25 years. We’ll leave it to God),” she said, somewhat aware that the worst could still come.
Over 200 flights cancelled as Taal erupts | The Manila Times – More than 200 international and local flights were cancelled on Monday morning as the operations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) remained suspended, a day after Taal Volcano erupted. In an advisory, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Taal’s massive ash explosion, which has now reached Quezon City, forced NAIA management to temporarily halt operations at the country’s main airhub, affecting 286 flights in total.
