Taal Volcano Erupts: A Plume of Steam Engulfs the Sky

The Taal Volcano in the Philippines erupted, emitting a steam plume over 2 km high. Located south of Manila, this small yet active volcano has previously disrupted air travel and caused evacuations. The latest eruption was phreatomagmatic, alert level remains low, and no injuries were reported.

The Philippines' Taal Volcano, situated near the capital region, erupted on Wednesday, sending a steam plume over 2 km (1.24 miles) high, according to the seismology agency.

Taal, one of the smallest active volcanoes worldwide, lies about 70 km (45 miles) south of Manila. Past eruptions have impacted the capital and air travel. Agency chief Teresito Bacolcol described this eruption as phreatomagmatic, where magma mingles with water to generate steam.

Located within a lake near Tagaytay in Cavite province, the volcano's eruption was confined to its island. Bacolcol noted the alert level remains minimal, with no evacuations yet. Despite its modest 311 m (1,020 feet) height, Taal can be catastrophic; its 1911 eruption killed over 1,300 people.

In January 2021, thousands were evacuated when Taal emitted a 1 km (0.62 mile) high gas and steam plume. A similar event in 2020 forced over 100,000 from their homes and disrupted the capital with an ash and steam column reaching 15 km.

(With inputs from agencies.)