Taal mudflow hits 20 houses in Batangas

A sudden heavy downpour that lasted for about half an hour on Sunday afternoon triggered a mudflow in the Taal lakeshore town of Laurel in Batangas province, local officials said on Monday.

While no one was reported hurt, municipal administrator Ciriaco Calinisan said thick mud from the volcanic ash pile overflowed from canals and entered at least 20 houses in Barangay Buso-buso, the village closest to Taal Volcano and the area hit hard by the Jan. 12 steam-driven eruption and ashfall.

On Monday, the municipal engineering office and the Department of Public Works and Highways began clearing silt “about a foot thick” off the houses and roads.

“How much worse could happen if the rain lasted longer? Our problem now is the onset of the rainy season as roads also turn slippery when they are wet,” Calinisan said.

The provincial government said about 30 million tons of ash-covered towns and cities when the volcano erupted in January. The volcano has been calm since March 19 when government volcanologists lowered its monitoring status to Alert Level 1 from Alert Level 4 in January.

—Maricar Cinco