In pictures: Thousands flee for safety from the world's smallest volcano
Taal, a tiny volcano near the Philippine capital Manila, usually draws many tourists for its picturesque setting in a lake. On Sunday it belched steam, ash and rocks forcing locals to flee for safety under difficult conditions of poor visibility and lack of transportation.
Clouds of ash blew far north, reaching Manila and causing the shut down of its main airport with some flights temporarily suspended.
Though there have been no reports of casualties or major damage from the eruption, experts still warn about the instability of the situation.
Taal, one of the world’s smallest volcanoes, is among two dozen active volcanoes in the Philippines, which lies along a seismically active region, the so-called Pacific 'Ring of Fire'.