More people were evacuated on Saturday from several towns near the restive Taal Volcano, as high sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions and potential COVID-19 transmissions remained a concern for health and emergency response officials.
From around a thousand the previous day, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 3,141 people, or around 788 families, from the “high-risk” towns of Agoncillo, Laurel, San Nicolas and Lemery in Batangas province had sought shelter.
The NDRRMC said 16 evacuation centers had been set up in the province, with the Department of Social Welfare and Development delivering some 8,000 food packs for the fleeing villagers.
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Keep on reading: Taal: More evacuated; PNP enforces distancing