Tagaytay too high to be reached by base surge of Taal major eruption —PHIVOLCS

Published January 18, 2020 10:38am

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) officer-in-charge on Saturday said Tagaytay City in Cavite is too high to be reached by a base surge that may possibly occur in case of a major eruption of Taal Volcano.

"Ang Tagaytay ay masyado ng mataas para tamaan ng base surge," PHIVOLCS OIC and Undersecretary Renato Solidum Jr. said in a press briefing.

Solidum: Ang Tagaytay ay masyado ng mataas para tamaan ng base surge. https://t.co/Jl7zdrja0g
— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) January 18, 2020

Tagaytay City, a popular destination of tourists, provides views of Taal Volcano and the lake around it.

Solidum has earlier warned the public about the dangers of a base surge, which was the cause of deaths in past eruptions of Taal Volcano in 1754, 1911 and 1965.

PHIVOLCS said a base surge is a special class of pyroclastic density currents which are "mixtures of fragmented volcanic particles, hot gases and ash that rush down the volcanic slopes or rapidly outward from a source vent at high speeds."

It added that a base surge could instantly destroy properties and kill people along the shoreline communities near the volcano island, should a hazardous eruption occur.

"Binabantayan natin ang posibleng mga steam explosion. Kapag lumagi na ang pagsabog posibleng mangyari ang base surge," Solidum said on Saturday.

He added that the base surge may reach communities within a 14-km radius from the volcano.

Solidum: 'Yung 14 km radius, 'yan po yung pinakamalayong pwedeng tamaan ng base surge. https://t.co/Jl7zdrja0g
— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) January 18, 2020

Solidum also said 666 volcanic earthquakes have been recorded since Sunday, Jan. 12, the day Taal Volcano had a phreatic eruption.

Alert Level 4 remains hoisted on Saturday, meaning a hazardous explosive eruption may possibly occur within hours or days.

The volcanic earthquakes and fissuring on the ground point to magma going up, Solidum said.

Fissuring has been reported in Agoncillo, Lemery, Talisay, and San Nicolas in Batangas.

"Dahil po may pag-akyat (ng magma), may pag-angat ng lupa at pagbagsak sa ilang bahagi," he added.

"Sa aming nakikita, nandyan pa rin ang magma na umaakyat at posible ang aktibidad ng Taal Volcano," Solidum said.

The PHIVOLCS chief said the agency is continuing to monitor the volcano.

He also enjoined the public to check the Hazard Hunter PH app to see if a certain place faces volcanic hazards.

Solidum; Mayroon tayong "Hazard Hunter PH" app para malaman kung ligtas ba ang iyong lugar sa volcanic hazards. https://t.co/Jl7zdrja0g
— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) January 18, 2020

—KG, GMA News

Tags: scitech, taalvolcano, taalvolcanoeruption, phivolcs, renatosolidum