Killer Taal volcano erupts near Manila, sparking terrifying volcanic lightning

13 January 2020, 11:07 | Updated: 13 January 2020, 11:09

The terrifying volcano is the second most active in the Philippines. Picture: Various

The horrifying scenes has caused chaos in the Philippines, with thousands evacuated from their homes.

A deadly volcano which has previously claimed the lives of thousands near Manila, The Philippines over the weekend after it erupted and triggered lightning storms.

The Taal Volcano is known as a tourist hotspot just south of the Philippines' capital city, and is just one of the 16 volcanos on the planet that has been deemed dangerous enough to be monitored around the clock by scientists.

Shots at nighttime display the volcanic lightning. Picture: Twitter

The horrifying eruption forced 8,000 people living near it to evacuate their homes after emergency crews raised alerts to 4, which means that a "hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours to days".

And into the early hours of Monday, a flow of lava started seeping out of the volcano, after emitting a huge ash cloud and triggering the level 4 warning.

Taal is the second most active volcano in the Philippines and has previously erupted a whopping 34 times over the past 450 years, taking thousands of lives over that time.

Shots from social media reveal the haunting scenes. Picture: Twitter

Authorities from Taal's surrounding province, Batangas have declared "a state of calamity" following the recent news.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) stated: "Taal volcano entered a period of intense unrest that progressed into magmatic eruption at 02:49 to 04:28.

"This is characterised by weak lava fountaining accompanied by thunder and flashes of lightning".

The Official United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has revealed that more than 450,000 people are estimated to live within the 14km danger zone of the Taal volcano.