Philippine volcano's quakes send more people fleeing

Lemery: A Philippine volcano belched smaller plumes of ash Thursday but shuddered continuously with earthquakes and cracked roads in nearby towns, which were blockaded by police due to fears of a bigger eruption.

Taal volcano's crater lake and a nearby river have dried up in some of the signs of its continuing volcanic restiveness.

That has prompted army troops and police to block villagers from sneaking back by boats to the volcanic island and nearby towns to retrieve belongings, poultry and cattle.

There have been no reports of deaths or serious injuries from the sudden eruption, which began Sunday, but many houses and farms have been damaged by volcanic ash, which briefly forced the shutdown of Manila's international airport and caused more than 600 flights to be cancelled.

The volcano in Batangas province lies more than 65 kilometers (40 miles) south of the capital, Manila.

Amid warnings of an imminent and more dangerous eruption, police cordoned off at least four towns along or near the coast of a lake surrounding volcano island, sparking arguments with villagers.

We've lost everything, our house got damaged, but I need to retrieve my pots and cooking wares and other things.