Lava has begun spewing from a volcano in the Philippines. The authorities have warned that a "hazardous eruption" is possible "within hours or days".

Weak lava fountaining began at the Taal volcano on Monday morning local time. The volcano lies 70 kilometres south of the capital, Manila.

The lava began after 8,000 local residents were evacuated because of a huge ash eruption.

Taal is the second most active volcano in the Philippines. Located on an island-like spot in the middle of a lake, it is the world's smallest volcano and has erupted 34 times in the past four and a half centuries.

"Intense unrest has developed within the Taal volcano ... which may cause a magmatic eruption between 2:49am and 4:28am ... this is mainly weak lava, which may be accompanied by lightning," the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said in a statement.

But the institute's director, Renato Solidum, told CNN Philippines that signs of a violent explosion, such as "lava mixed with ash, rock and gas" moving horizontally at 60 kilometres an hour, had not yet been seen.

PHIVOLCS has raised the alert level from three to four. The highest alert level for such events is five.

The authorities also warned that the eruption could cause a tsunami, as lava falling into the water after an eruption could push water onto land and create waves.

On Sunday, the volcano released a large amount of ash with a loud noise, accompanied by earthquake-like tremors.

Source: BBC Bangla. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.