Taal volcano begins erupting in spectacularly violent display

Authorities in the Philippines started evacuating thousands of people on July 3 after the alert status was raised on a restive volcano that spewed a 1km high plume of gas and steam.

The alert for the Taal volcano, about 70km south of central Manila, moved to level 3 from level 2 on the 5-level scale, which the seismology and volcanology agency said meant a “magmatic intrusion” at the main crater “could further drive succeeding eruptions”.

Taal is one of the world’s smallest active volcanoes.