An explosive eruption of restive Taal volcano no longer appears imminent, Philippine authorities said Sunday as they lifted most of a mass evacuation order but warned residents to remain ready to flee. Warning signs such as earthquakes have been steadily waning since Taal burst to life two weeks ago with plumes of ash and lava, forcing over 135,000 people into shelters over fears a massive blast was coming. The nation’s seismological agency said steadily shrinking ash and gas emissions were signs of “decreased tendency towards hazardous explosive eruption”, leading them to lower the alert by a notch.
