Hanoi (VNA) – Taal volcano, 90 kilometres to the south of thePhilippines capital Manila, could spew lavaand ash for weeks, local authorities have warned, affecting thousands of people who have already fled their homes.

Renato Solidum, head ofthe Philippines' seismological agency, said Taal's previous eruptions have goneon for as long as months so it is impossible to predict an end to the currentactivity.

Thewarning of a potentially catastrophic "explosive eruption" may remainin place for weeks, depending on developments,he said.

“Wehave a protocol of waiting for several days, sometimes two weeks, to make surethat indeed volcano activity has essentially stopped," he noted.

Taal dramaticallyburst with activity on January 12, shooting a massive column of ashkilometres into the sky that then rained down on the region.

Falling ash pushedaviation officials to temporarily shut down Manila's main internationalairport, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flight and stranded tens ofthousands of travellers.

Many residentsabandoned livestock and pets as well as homes full of belongings afterauthorities sounded an alert warning that an "explosive eruption"could come imminently.

As many as 30,000people are currently in shelters.

Taal is one of the mostactive volcanoes in the Phillipines as the Southeast Asiannation lies on the “Ring of Fire,” a belt of volcanoes circling the PacificOcean that is also prone to earthquakes.

Taal has erupted morethan 30 times in the past five centuries, most recently in 1977. An eruption in1911 killed 1,500 people and one in 1754 lasted for two months./.