MANILA, Philippines — Over 26,000 families in Batangas have been displaced by Taal Volcano’s eruption, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) of Batangas reported on Thursday.
UPDATE as of 16 January 2020, 5:00AM
Total No. of Families Affected: 26,294
Total No. of Individuals Affected: 121,455
Total No. of Evacuation Centers: 373
Source: PDRRMO#BangonBatangas #TaalVolcano #Batangas
— Batangas PIO Capitol (@batspiocapitol) January 15, 2020
As of 5:00 a.m., PDRRMO said 26,294 families or 121,455 individuals have been affected by the volcanic eruption.
Evacuees rest at an evacuation center in Tanaun, Batangas province, southern Philippines on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020. Taal volcano is spewing ash half a mile high and trembling with earthquakes constantly as thousands of people flee villages darkened and blanketed by heavy ash. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
Meanwhile, a total of 373 evacuation centers are serving as temporary shelters for displaced residents.
Taal Volcano had a phreatic eruption or a steam-driven episode in its main crater last Sunday.
Alert level 4 remains in effect in the affected areas in Batangas and Cavite, which means that a hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours or days.