Volcanic Eruption Shuts Down Flights to Manila

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.

https://twitter.com/BNONews/status/1216329609471500288?ref_src=twsrc^tfw” rel=”nofollow

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.

https://twitter.com/havadakisorular/status/1216391705173295109?ref_src=twsrc^tfw” rel=”nofollow

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.