Philippines raises Taal volcano danger level as thousands evacuate
CNN
Authorities in the Philippines started evacuating thousands of people on Thursday after raising the alert status on a restive volcano that spewed a 1-kilometer (0.62-mile) high plume of gas and steam.
The alert for the Taal volcano, about 70 km (43 miles) south of central Manila, was raised from level 2 to level 3 on the 5-tier scale, which the seismology and volcanology agency said meant a "magmatic intrusion" at the main crater "could further drive succeeding eruptions." Taal is one of the world's smallest active volcanoes. Despite standing at only 311 meters (1,020 feet), it can be deadly, and an eruption in 1911 killed more than 1,300 people.
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