September 28, 1965 Eruption of Taal

1965, Sept 28. Estimates range 150 to 355 including those drowned and several murdered. Witham lists range of 190-355. Many of the fatalities occurred when tsunami capsized boats filled with fleeing residents. Newspaper and other reports suggesting 3,000-5,000 deaths are very unreliable. (reference #9675)

Such waves have formed in at least five major eruptions at Taal, those of 1716 September 24, 1749 August 11, 1754 November 28, 1911 January 30, and 1965 September 30. All have caused casualties. (reference #1686)

1965, Sept 28. Eruptive Characteristics: Flank (excentric) vent, New island formation, Crater lake eruption, Explosive eruption, Pyroclastic flow(s), Phreatic explosion(s), Fatalities, Damage (land, property, etc.), Tsunami (giant sea waves). Area of Activity: SW flank (near Mt. Tabaro). (reference #2432)

A moderately violent phreatomagmatic explosive eruption of Taal Volcano, in the Philippines, occurred from 28 to 30 September 1965. The main phreatic explosions, which were preceded by ejection of basaltic spatter, opened a new crater 1.5 kilometers long and 0.3 kilometer wide on the southwest side of Volcano Island in Lake Taal. The eruption covered an area of about 60 square kilometers with a blanket of ash more than 25 centimeters thick and killed approximately 190 persons. The clouds that formed during the explosive eruption rose to heights of 15 to 20 kilometers and deposited fine ash as far as 80 kilometers west of the vent. At the base of the main explosion column, flat, turbulent clouds spread radially, with hurricane velocity, transporting ash, mud, lapilli, and blocks. The horizontally moving, debris-laden clouds sandblasted trees, coated the blast side of trees and houses with mud, and deposited coarse ejecta with dune-type bedding in a zone roughly 4 kilometers in all directions from the explosion crater. (reference #5094)