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volcano near Manila spewed a massive cloud of ash that drifted across the Philippine capital on Sunday, forcing the cancellation of flights and closure of schools and government offices as authorities warned of a possible "explosive eruption".
Thousands of people were evacuated from the area near Taal volcano after it suddenly shot a column of ash and steam as high as 15 km (nine miles) into the sky.
Taal, one of the world's smallest active volcanoes, sits in the middle of a lake about 70 km (45 miles) south of the center of the capital, Manila.