| Event code | GE-VAC/05434/PHL |
|---|---|
| Main category | Geological Event |
| Sub category | volcano activity |
| Event date (UTC) | Fri, 22 Sep 2023 06:46:17 +0000 |
| Last update (UTC) | Mon, 09 Oct 2023 10:24:59 +0000 |
| Continent | Pacific Ocean - West |
|---|---|
| Country | Philippines |
| Administration area | Province of Batangas |
| Settlement | |
| Exact location | Taal Volcano, Talisay |
| Open Location Code: | 7Q622X6X+MX |
| Size of affected area | County-level |
| Additional events | None or not detected. |
| Urgency | Past |
|---|---|
| Certainty | Observed |
| Severity | Extreme |
| Category | Geo |
Smog from the Taal Volcano shrouded nearby communities and drifted toward the Philippines' capital Manila today. The thick haze caused alarm among residents and sparked class suspensions in Batangas province and neighboring regions, including the Metro Manila area some 65 miles away, on September 22. Footage shows a blanket of volcanic gas reducing visibility and blotting out the sun. The Batangas Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said volcanic smog has been affecting nearby towns in Batangas since the start of September. On Thursday, September 21, more than 40 students were hospitalized after complaining of chest pains, dizziness, and itchy throats and skin. Philippine seismological agency PHIVOLCS said there continuous gas upwelling was observed at the volcano's crater, with steam plumes reaching up to 2400 meters high. PHIVOLCS said: 'Vog (volcanic smog) has been affecting the Taal region since the first week of September 2023 as an average of 3,402 tons per day SO2 has been degassed from Taal Volcano for the month.' Residents have been urged to stay indoors and to wear masks when venturing outside. The Taal Volcano is still under Alert Level 1, indicating low-level unrest without an imminent eruption. The Philippines is an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands inside the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' where the majority of Earth's volcano eruptions and earthquakes happen.
The low-level unrest at the volcano continues. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology's (PHIVOLCS) webcam provided a time-lapse video of the fumarolic activity from the Main Crater within the caldera between 05:45 and 11:42 local time on 8 October. During this period, gas and steam emissions rose several dozen meters above the crater, but generally, they continue to rise to an estimated 1,500 meters above fumarolic vents. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions reached to 2887 tonnes on 8 October. The Main Crater Lake's temperature was measured at about 74.3 C on 3 October. Ground deformation instruments continue to detect the caldera deflated. From a short-term point of view, inflation has been monitored on the northern flank of the crater. The local alert level for the volcano remains at Level 1. The current hazards posing a threat to the population are sudden gas-steam-driven or phreatic explosions caused by overheated water flashing into steam or accumulation of volcanic gas that can be lethal for people and cattle.
Smog containing gases from a restive Philippine volcano sickened dozens of students and prompted 25 towns and cities to shut their schools on Friday as a health precaution, officials said. There was no imminent threat of a major eruption of Taal Volcano, which authorities said remains at a low level of unrest in Batangas province south of Manila. But they said its emission of sulfur dioxide-laden steam in recent days caused skin, throat, and eye irritation for at least 45 students in nearby towns. Classes were suspended in 25 towns and cities in Batangas to keep students safely at home. Some schools resumed online classes and home learning that were in wide use at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, officials said. Smog has also been reported in Manila north of Taal in recent days, but the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said it was largely caused by vehicle emissions and not the volcano. Taal, one of the world's smallest volcanoes, is among two dozen active volcanoes in the Philippines, which lies along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a seismically active region that is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The 311-meters (1,020-foot) volcano sits in the middle of a scenic lake and is a popular tourist attraction about 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of Manila. Taal erupted in January 2020 with a massive plume of ash and steam that prompted the evacuation of tens of thousands of people and the closure of Manila's international airport.
Fifty-eight (58) students from Tuy, Batangas were brought to the Rural Health Unit (RHU) after they were affected by the volcanic smog from Taal volcano. Tuy’s Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) was distributing facemasks in schools when some of the students complained of difficulty in breathing and chest pains. No, the smog you’re seeing in Metro Manila is not because of Taal, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology (Phivolcs) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Friday. Phivolcs clarified to reporters that the vog (volcanic smog) it detected from Taal Volcano is drifting west-southwest, hence, is not going toward Metro Manila.
| Number of dead: | 0 person(s) |
|---|---|
| Number of injured: | 40 person(s) |
| Number of Affected: | 0 person(s) |
| Number of Rescued/evacuated: | 0 person(s) |
| Number of Missing: | 0 person(s) |
| Number of Infected: | 0 person(s) |
| Code2 | PH |
|---|---|
| Code | PHL |
| Name | Philippines |
| LocalName | Pilipinas |
| GovernmentForm | Republic |
| Continent | Asia |
| Region | Southeast Asia |
| SurfaceArea | 300000.00 |
| IndepYear | 1946 |
| Population | 75967000 |
| LifeExpectancy | 67.5 |
| GNP | 65107.00 |
| GNPOld | 82239.00 |
| Capital | 766 |