A SCOTTISH holidaymaker confined to his hotel by ash has told of the “humbling, amazing and worrying” eruption of Taal volcano in the Philippines.
Flights from Manila, the Filipino capital, have been disrupted since the eruption began on Sunday and the Foreign Office is advising against travel to the nation.
Ewan Carroll, 44, originally from Dunblane, was awoken by tremors on Sunday morning while on an anniversary weekend away in Tanauan, Batangas.
He said: “I was lying in bed upstairs in a beautiful lakeside villa when I felt the house shake.
“After a few tremors, I went downstairs and saw the enormous column of smoke. It was humbling, amazing and worrying all at once.”
Carroll, who has worked in Brisbane, Australia as a primary school teacher for the past 15 years, says he and his partner quickly left the villa and are now at a hotel in Manila 37 miles away.
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He added: “I have asthma and so even in Manila we are confined to the hotel because of the ashfall all around which Philippines authorities reported as dangerous.
“We have a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter who we also worry about as the face masks are too big for her.”
There have yet to be any casualties or major damage reported due to the eruption, but ash has been blown more than 62 miles, coating the area
Filipino student John Tugade, 22, is from the town of Taal, just south of the island volcano. he said: “Taal Volcano erupting consisted of frequent earthquakes as well as thunderous roars.
“If you were at the scene, you could hear the subtle eruption sounds as well as see the lightning that crackles around the spiral of smoke.”
Experts have warned the eruption could get worse in the coming days and Philippine authorities plan to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people from the area.
Carroll said: “Although we are not scheduled to fly out until next Monday, it’s unclear when the ash cloud will dissipate.”
The Foreign Office said people intending to travel to the Philippines should follow updates on the PhiVolcs official website and consult their airline about potential disruption to flights.
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