Philippines: Manila shuts down, thousands flee amid volcano eruption fears

A small but active volcano on the main Philippine island of Luzon continued to belch massive columns of ash, steam and lava yesterday, shutting down the capital Manila and setting off massive evacuations in provinces near it. Government seismologists warned that a "hazardous, explosive eruption" could occur at the Taal volcano - perhaps within days - either at the main crater or new vents that were observed Monday. "It could last for at least three days, as in 1911, or as long as seven months, as what happened in 1754," said Ms Mariton Bornas, who is in charge of monitoring volcanoes at Phivolcs. The Taal volcano, about 65km south of Manila, rumbled back to life on Sunday, blasting steam, ash and pebbles up to 15km into the sky. The ashfall reached as far as Manila, covering dozens of towns and cities, including the main business district of Makati City.Flight operations at Manila's international airport partially resumed, after at least 240 flights were delayed or cancelled on Sunday. One flight that did land carried President Rodrigo Duterte, who was returning from his home city of Davao in the southern Philippines. He had been unable to fly on Sunday because visibility was low. Aircraft are still advised to avoid the airspace around the volcano as ash and ballistic fragments pose risks.<br/>