Taal unrest keeps over 3,000 in evacuation centers

BATANGAS. A man rests at a school turned into an evacuation center in the town of Laurel, Batangas on July 2, 2021. Thousands of people were being evacuated from villages around a rumbling Taal Volcano. (AP)
BATANGAS. A man rests at a school turned into an evacuation center in the town of Laurel, Batangas on July 2, 2021. Thousands of people were being evacuated from villages around a rumbling Taal Volcano. (AP)

A TOTAL of 3,788 individuals, or 1,072 families, remained in various evacuation centers in Batangas due to the threat posed by the Taal Volcano, police said on Tuesday, July 6, 2021.

A report by the Batangas Provincial Police Office said 2,040 individuals have sought refuge in eight evacuation centers in the town of Laurel, 104 individuals in two public schools in Nasugbu, 1,352 people in eight evacuation centers in Agoncillo, 118 persons in Talisay, 212 in Balete and 80 persons in Balayan.

In a separate report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 2,565 people or 709 families were staying outside evacuation centers or with their relatives.

The disaster bureau said 77 barangays have been affected by the Taal Volcano’s unrest since last week.

More than P1.8 million worth of food and non-food items have been distributed to the evacuees.

Local government officials earlier said their biggest challenge is to prevent transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) as space is limited.

On Monday, July 5, the Department of Health (DOH) held a vaccination campaign in the evacuation sites as a preventive measure against the virus.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the Taal Volcano Network recorded 39 volcanic earthquakes, including two volcanic tremor events with duration of three to five minutes, in the past 24 hours.

The volcano's main crater generated high levels of volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas emissions and steam-rich plumes that rose as high as 3,000 meters before drifting south and east.

The volcano is under alert level 3, which means that magma extruding from the main crater could drive an explosive eruption.

The Phivolcs reiterated that the Taal Volcano Island is a permanent danger zone (PDZ) and entry into the island as well as into the high-risk barangays of Agoncillo and Laurel must be prohibited due to the hazards of pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami should strong eruptions occur.

“All activities on Taal Lake should not be allowed at this time. Communities around the Taal Lake shores are advised to remain vigilant, take precautionary measures against possible airborne ash and vog and calmly prepare for possible evacuation should unrest intensify,” the Phivolcs advisory states.

“Civil aviation authorities must advise pilots to avoid flying over Taal Volcano Island as airborne ash and ballistic fragments from sudden explosions and pyroclastic density currents such as base surges may pose hazards to aircraft,” it added. (SunStar Philippines)

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