Thousands Of Citizens Evacuate Philippines As Mount Mayon Volcano Begins Spewing Lava And Sulfuric Gas
Nearly 13,000 Philippine residents in the southeast of the country’s main island have been evacuated as the Mount Mayon volcano began spewing lava and sulfuric gas on Sunday, according to authorities.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recommended that everyone within a 3.7 mile radius of the Mount Mayon volcano is in a “danger zone” and should be evacuated as they’re at risk of rockfalls, landslides, and ballistic fragments.
On Thursday, the alert level on the volcano reached a 3 out of 5, leading to 88% of residents living within the danger zone to be evacuated. Efforts to relocate the rest are continuous, according to the Philippine Provincial Information Office.
Mayon is known as one of the world’s most active volcanoes, located on Luzon island about 205 miles southeast of Manila.
Phivolcs warned that a “hazardous eruption is possible within weeks or even days after detecting a relatively high level of unrest at the volcano.”
Phivolcs has also stated that within the past 24 hours, the Mayon Volcano network recorded 21 weak volcanic earthquakes, 260 rockfalls, and lava flow activity from the crater. THe agency also detected three pyroclastic density currents, which are very hot and fast-moving flows of ash, hot gases, and debris.
According to CNN Philippines, on Friday the government was able to release response funds to support affected residents after Albay province was placed under a state of calamity.
Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol said they were “closely monitoring the situation at the volcano, and we could raise the alert level to 4 if there is an increase in volcanic earthquakes and inflation of the volcano’s edifice.”
Bacolcol also said “there was an effusive eruption Sunday night with lava flows observed to reach 1,640 feet from the volcano’s summit.”
“Lava flows are slow moving and effusive eruptions are generally less violent and produce less ash and volcanic gases than explosive eruptions,” he stated.
10,000 farm animals that were located in areas threatened by the volcano were also evacuated to feeding camps and shelters outside of the danger zone. Rescue and repair efforts are continuous and ongoing as authorities continue to monitor the Volcanoes activity.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
