Tourists warned off live volcano

Tourists warned off live volcano

MANILA (AFP): Tourists were warned off the crater of Taal volcano near here on Thursday amid signs of possible eruption, a senior Philippine volcanologist said.

"We may have a sudden explosion and that's the reason why we're saying the main crater lake is off-limits," said Raymundo Punongbayan, head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

Eighty-nine volcanic quakes were monitored by sensors over the past 24 hours, up sharply from the usual 30 a day, though none of these can be detected without special instruments, Punongbayan said.

Taal lake, created by a previous explosion, is a popular tourist draw south of Manila. Tourists hire boats to get to the middle of the lake and climb atop the low crater, which also features another small lake. The surrounding towns are also heavily populated.