Mount Pinatubo erupted violently today and sent a cloud of smoke and ash 10 miles into the sky . ; Col. Jose Balajadia, chief of the Philippine military's Clark Air Base Command, said Tuesday that troops remaining at the base had been issued gas masks in case ash falls over the installation. Warning sirens and church bells sounded at Clark Air Base and surrounding communities . Terrified residents clogged roads in the vicinity of Pinatubo . U.S. and Philippine officials believed that more eruptions would occur and that everyone within 12 miles of Clark should evacuate immediately . Communications with scientists taking measurements on the mountain were unsuccessful . It is known that this team had planned to make a helicopter flight over the volcano to check the size of the lava dome inside the volcano .
Mount Pinatubo erupted violently today and sent a cloud of smoke and ash 10 miles into the sky . Warning sirens and church bells sounded at Clark Air Base and surrounding communities . Terrified residents clogged roads in the vicinity of Pinatubo . U.S. and Philippine officials believed that more eruptions would occur and that everyone within 12 miles of Clark should evacuate immediately . Communications with scientists taking measurements on the mountain were unsuccessful . It is known that this team had planned to make a helicopter flight over the volcano to check the size of the lava dome inside the volcano .