Hanoi (VNA) – Taal volcano, 90 kilometres to the south of Manila,spewed lava into the air and spread ash across the Philippines, forcingvillagers to flee and shut down the capital’s international airports, officesand schools.

Clouds of ash drifted more than100 kilometres north of the Taal volcano reaching the bustling capital, Manila,and forcing the shutdown of the country’s main airport with more than 500flights canceled on January 12.

More than 24,000 people have been evacuated from the volcanic island and thearea immediately around it, normally a popular tourist spot.

To the southwest of the volcano, the towns of Agoncillo and Lemery were coatedby a thick layer of ash, making roads impassable.

Agoncillo mayor Daniel Reyes said some homes and part of a building hadcollapsed under the weight of the fallen ash.

In nearby Talisay Batangas, rain had turned ash to mud and trucks were neededto evacuate more people from remote communities.

Taal volcano spewed ash 1,000metres into the sky on January 12. Authorities said several earthquakes ofmagnitudes 1-3 were felt in nearby villages.

One of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines, Taal has erupted more than30 times in the past five centuries, most recently in 1977. An eruption in 1911killed 1,500 people and one in 1754 lasted for a few months.

The island hasbeen showing signs of restiveness since early last year.

The Philippineslies on the “Ring of Fire,” a belt of volcanoes circling the Pacific Ocean thatis also prone to earthquakes./.