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.