MANILA: Philippine authorities warned on Sunday an “explosive eruption” of a volcano south of Manila could be imminent, hours after it sent a massive column of ash skyward that forced officials to halt flights at the capital’s main airport until further notice.

Thousands of people living near Taal volcano, a popular tourist attraction set in the centre of a picturesque lake, were evacuated from their homes as it spewed ash, rumbled with earthquakes and lightning exploded above its crest.

A “hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours to days”, the nation’s seismological agency warned, as locals weighed whether or not to flee the area.

“I’m afraid that it might erupt... but I’ll leave it to fate. I just have to pray,” Eduardo Carino, who works in a hotel near the volcano, said.

After the ash cloud reached 50,000 feet into the atmosphere, aviation officials ordered a suspension of flights to and from the capital’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Authorities initially halted operations at NAIA for a few hours, but later on Sunday announced that flights would be suspended “until further notice”.

Transport secretary Arthur Tugade had instructed aviation officials to “do whatever is necessary in the interest of public safety”, said a joint statement from air and transport authorities. They said they planned to reassess the situation on Monday morning.

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2020