(Bloomberg) -- A smog caused by an active volcano south of the Philippine capital has prompted a suspension of classes in schools with air quality reaching “very unhealthy” levels in some areas.
The nation’s education department, in a memorandum on Monday, said affected schools in Metro Manila and nearby provinces may shift to online classes. The decision to lift the suspension will depend on whether it is safe for students and teachers to return, it added.
Taal Volcano has been on Alert Level 1 in a five-step scale which means that steam-driven or phreatic or gas-driven explosions can occur, according to an advisory from the Philippines’ volcanology institute.
It released 3,355 tonnes of sulfur dioxide in the past 24 hours, and a plume as high as 2,400 meters headed toward north-northwest, the environment department said in a statement, citing latest available data.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
