INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Flights have been suspended after a volcano on a tourist island in the Philippines erupted, sending a plume of ash into the sky.Taal Volcano
in Batangas province, south of Manila, has blasted steam and rock up to 15,000 metres into the air in the last few days.The Philippine
Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has raised the threat level from 3 to 4, meaning a hazardous eruption is imminent.Image:Taal volcano
is situated in Batangas province in the PhilippinesA statement said: "Hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours to days
(The institute) strongly reiterates total evacuation of Taal Volcano Island and additional evacuation of areas at high risk within a 14km
radius."Manila International Airport Authority said all flights into and out of the main international airport serving the country's capital
had been put on hold "due to volcanic ash in the vicinity of the airport".Image:Volcanic lightning flickers in the column of steam and ash
from the eruption of Taal volcanoA tweet said: "Flight operations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport have been temporarily suspended
due to the volcanic ash from the eruption of Taal Volcano."As tremors shook the area, volcanic lightning flickered in the column of steam
and ash.Image:Taal volcano has been blasting steam and rock up to 15,000 metres into the air for daysSo far, there have been no reports of
injuries or damage.But authorities are evacuating more than 8,000 people - 6,000 of which have already fled the island where the volcano
lies, in the middle of a lake, which is a beauty spot and tourism draw.Pictures from the scene show the sky darkened by the ash plume and a
thick layer of dust covering everything in the nearby town of Talisay.Image:The threat level has been raised from level 3 to level 4Coastal
communities around the lake have also been told by officials to evacuate to safer areas in case an eruption causes a tsunami or pyroclastic
surge.Residents have been urged "to take precautionary measures and be vigilant of possible lake water disturbances related to the ongoing
unrest".Renelyn Bautista, a 38-year-old housewife who fled from Laurel town with her two children by hitching a ride to safety, said: "The
air turned muddy because of the ashfall and it started to smell like gunpowder".Image:Around 8,000 people have been told to evacuateAshfall
has been reported in towns and cities several miles away, with families advised to stay indoors and don masks and goggles for
safety.Authorities recorded a series of earthquakes and motorists are also being hampered by poor visibility due to the ashfall.Taal, one of
the smallest volcanos in the world, is among two dozen active cones in the Philippines, which lies along the so-called Pacific 'ring of
