Thousands evacuated as Philippine volcano threatens big eruption

Residents pass by an ash and mud covered road as Taal Volcano erupts in Batangas Province, the Philippines, Jan. 13, 2020. Nearly 50,000 people living near the volcano on an island close to the Philippine capital have heeded official warning to evacuate as fears of an eruption grew, officials said on Monday. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology increased the alert level for Taal Volcano in Talisay town in Batangas, approximately 66 km south of Manila, on Sunday to 4 on a scale of 5, indicating an increased prospect of a hazardous eruption "within hours to days." (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)