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Signs of life at ‘no-man’s land’ around Philippine volcano
TAAL, Philippines, Jan 21, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – A desolate landscape of ash
dunes and bare trees left by the eruption of the Philippines’ Taal volcano
lay in contrast with a few signs of life at ground zero of the disaster on
Tuesday.
The island site was buried by massive deposits of ash when Taal erupted
last week and remains under a mandatory evacuation order due to a feared
bigger blast.
Yet about a dozen white cows milled near dust-blanketed homes, and several
brightly coloured boats were docked at the shore on Tuesday, according to an
AFP reporter taken on a rare military flight around the area.
Thin plumes of steam rose from the crater.
Authorities have said any outward signs of an imminent eruption have been
weak over the past several days.
But scientists warn the volcano is still at risk of a major blast, and
more than 110,000 people have taken refuge in shelters away from danger.
At least 3,000 who lived on the island were ordered out, though many have
made trips back to rescue livestock or fetch items from their homes.
Houses were flattened or buried under the ash, though AFP saw at least one
with a roof swept clean.
Many families previously offered services catering to the tourists who
visited the volcano — a popular attraction in the Philippines despite the
risk of eruption.
The government has said it is now working on a plan to permanently
relocate them, and turn the island into what officials have called a no-man’s
land.
BSS/AFP/MSY/1358 hrs