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Bloomberg
A tangle of cracks has opened up around an erupting volcano in the Philippines that’s triggered hundreds of earthquakes and urgent pleas for residents to evacuate areas at risk of dangerous fissures and ashfall.
Police locked down three towns near Taal Volcano, 65 kilometres (40 miles) south of Manila, to prevent residents from returning home. More than 82,000 people are sheltering in evacuation centers, the head of the military’s taskforce on Taal said. Still, thousands have refused to leave their homes or drifted back, even as the volcano spews plumes of ash and debris.
More areas are being considered to be placed under lockdown, the military said. Soldiers and police were also deployed to patrol vacated areas to prevent looting.
“Hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours to days,†the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a 5:00 pm bulletin, repeating warnings since last week, when Taal entered a period of intense unrest.