The Philippines' Taal Volcano near Manila erupted on Sunday, spewing a massive plume of ash and steam into the sky.

The local authority increased the alert level on Sunday to 4, indicating a hazardous explosive eruption "is possible within hours to days."

Nearly 50,000 people in the area had been ordered to evacuate from the scene. And about 10,000 residents who live nearest to the volcano had began to flee. /Xinhua Photo

The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines also warned of the incident, and asked Chinese citizens to keep away from the affected area. /Xinhua Photo