A volcanic eruption in the Philippines on Sunday has sent billows of ash into the air, shutting down Manila’s international airport.
According to Reuters, the Taal volcano is among two dozen active volcanoes in the Philippines, but is one of the smallest. Despite its stature, the volcano shot clouds of ash over 60 miles into the air, which reached the bustling capital of Manila.
As a result, Ninoy Aquino International Airport was shut down to incoming flights until stranded aircraft fly out and free up parking bays. The Manila airport allowed several airplanes to depart early Monday during a period where the wind was blowing the ash in a different direction.
WATCH: Eruption underway at Taal Volcano in the Philippines; nearby towns are being evacuated, all flights suspended at Manila airport pic.twitter.com/mtP44uephs
— BNO News (@BNONews) January 12, 2020
FlightAware.com is reporting as of 10:30 a.m. ET that Ninoy Aquino International is reporting over 85 cancellations into and out of the airport on Monday morning and over 201 delays that could turn into canceled flights as the ash cloud continues to spread.
On Sunday, the Manila airport saw over 420 flight cancelations, trapping tourists and locals in the bayside city on the island of Luzon.
Large volcanic eruption in the Philippines this morning. The volcanic ash cloud produced lightning, causing electric discharge.
Volcanic eruptions are one of the major enemies of aviation. Flights in and out of Manila Airport are currently suspended due to the eruption. pic.twitter.com/pSzhjobZUR— Havadakisorular (@havadakisorular) January 12, 2020
There have been no reports of casualties or significant damage from the volcanic eruption, but more than 13,000 villagers have taken shelter in evacuation centers. The evacuation numbers are expected to grow exponentially in the coming days.
The eruption in the Philippines come around one month after a volcanic explosion on a small island in New Zealand resulted in 20 confirmed deaths and 27 people injured, including many tourists on the island as part of a shore excursion from a cruise ship.