More than 2,000 flee as Philippine volcano spews toxic gas

A phreatomagmatic eruption plume billows from Taal volcano, Batangas province, Philippines

More than 2,000 people have fled from a volcano eruption that has filled the air near the Philippine capital with toxic gas, officials said Saturday. Taal volcano, which sits in a picturesque lake, has been belching sulphur dioxide for several days, creating a thick haze over Manila and several surrounding provinces, and prompting health warnings. At least 2,400 people have left their homes since the government called for evacuations of hamlets on the lake's shores, provincial disaster official Joselito Castro told AFP. ‘We expect more residents to evacuate over the coming days,’ he said, adding that they were seeking refuge either in schools closed by the coronavirus pandemic or in the homes of relatives.