77 evacuate from Taal Volcano Island

News from Inquirer.net


77 evacuate from Taal Volcano Island
By Marrah Erika Lesaba
Inquirer Southern Luzon
First Posted 10:13:00 04/10/2011

Filed Under: Safety of Citizens, Volcanic activity

BATANGAS CITY, Philippines—(UPDATE) At least 77 persons from 17 families have evacuated from the Taal Volcano Island following the series of volcanic tremors that prompted the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology to raise Alert Level 2 on the island.

The evacuees were ferried to the mainland of Talisay town on Saturday night, said Senior Superintendent Alberto Supapo, Batangas police director, on Sunday.

The evacuees were among the 2,210 residents of the island who opted to voluntarily leave starting at 9 p.m. Saturday for fear that the volcano would erupt anytime, said Supapo.

Three families were housed at the Venancio Trinidad Senior Memorial School in Talisay while the remaining 14 families stayed with their relatives in Poblacion, Talisay, Supapo said.

Jing Segismundo, Batangas provincial information officer, said the evacuees are from sitios (subvillages) Tabla, Tibag and San Isidro on Taal Volcano Island.

Segismundo said local authorities would implement forced evacuation if alert level 3 or a higher alert was raised.

Alert level 3 means a probable eruption or strong changes in the eruption patterns in the next 10 days.
Alert level 4 means the volcano will erupt anytime and alert level 5 is issued when the eruption is in progress.

Lorence Baňez, Science Research Assistant for the Taal Volcano observatory, said Alert Level 2, which meant increasing restiveness which could lead to eruption, was raised Saturday after they recorded 31 volcanic quakes between April 8 and 9.

Baňez added they also noted an increase in the carbon dioxide level around the volcano, indicating an “anomalous gas release” from the depth of the volcano.

Elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the air can cause damage to plants. When inhaled, it could cause dizziness, fainting and headache, said Banez.

People and animals could also die of asphyxiation from carbon dioxide inhalation, added Banez.

With the raising of Alert Level 2, the Daang Kastila trail, used mostly be tourists who wanted to get close to the volcano, is strictly off-limits because sudden hazardous steam-driven explosions may occur and high concentrations of toxic gases may accumulate, said Baňez.

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This is already alarming!