(Bloomberg) -- The Philippines has compelled residents of 12 towns and two cities near the restive Taal Volcano to move to safer ground even as the intensity of the eruption has weakened.
Mandatory evacuations have been enforced in areas prone to a tsunami and a surge of gas and rock fragments if the volcano 65 kilometers (40 miles) south of the capital Manila erupts violently, the disaster management agency said.
Two people have died and more than 121,000 people have fled to safety since Sunday, but poor visibility and slippery roads due to volcanic ash are hampering evacuation efforts, the military said Thursday.
Volcanic activity in the main crater “has been characterized by steady steam emission and infrequent weak explosions that generated dark gray ash plumes 100 to 800 meters tall,” the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in an 8 a.m. bulletin. Fissures in several villages in Batangas province have widened, a new steaming fissure was discovered on the slope of the volcano island, while the shoreline around Taal Lake has receded, the agency said.
The second-highest alert in a five-step warning system remains in effect, suggesting hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours or days.
The nearby Cavite province has been placed under a state of emergency, joining Batangas province, which was given that status earlier this week to enable it to immediately disburse funds.
Taal is one of the most active and deadliest volcanoes in the Philippines, which sits on the “Pacific Ring of Fire.” The volcano, which has 47 craters and lies in an island in the middle of a lake, is a top tourist attraction.
Hotels Shut
Hotels owned by JG Summit Holdings Inc., Megaworld Corp. and and SM Prime Holdings Inc. in the tourist city of Tagaytay near the volcano announced temporary closures in response to warnings of a possible explosive eruption.
Businesses in several villages in Tagaytay that opt to resume operations will have to sign a waiver that says they’ve been briefed of the hazards, the city’s disaster risk management office said in a Facebook post.
The government will loan an initial 50 million pesos ($984,000) to small businesses affected by the eruption, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez told reporters Thursday, adding that his agency is guarding against price spikes.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier ordered that no one be allowed to return and permanently reside on the island where the volcano is located in the near future. The government has “more than enough funds” to support affected localities, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said.
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