Footage shows Taal volcano in the Philippines this afternoon (July 2) after thousands of residents were evacuated and the alert level was raised.

The volcano rumbled and fired hot smoke and gas almost a mile into the sky on Thursday. Officials raised the alert to level three and volcano smog – or vog – covered homes in nearby capital Manila around 43 miles away.

Cameras monitoring the volcano recorded the moment of eruption. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said it happened from 3:16 to 3:21 in the afternoon of Thursday, July 1, 2021.

Officials warned there was ‘magmatic intrusion’ at Taal’s main crater that may ‘drive succeeding eruptions’.

Onlooker Albert Reducto, who recorded the video, said: ‘It’s still not calm and he’s still emitting thick smoke since earlier this morning. That’s why all of us security officers are constantly on the lookout for whatever happens.’

Vog is a form of air pollution that results when sulfur dioxide and other gases and particles emitted by an erupting volcano react with oxygen and moisture in the presence of sunlight.