Thousands Evacuated After Mayon Volcano Erupts in the Philippines
MANILA — Thousands of people are being evacuated from communities south of Manila after Mayon Volcano erupted Sunday, according to the Philippine government news agency.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level for Mayon to three on a five-level scale, indicating that magma is near or at the surface and that activity could lead to a hazardous eruption within weeks. Authorities said danger zones may be expanded up to 8 kilometers from the active crater.
The institute reported lava effusion and lava flows in multiple gullies of the volcano, along with episodic minor strombolian activity and short-lived lava fountaining. It also reported successive pyroclastic density currents and ashfall on the volcano’s southwestern slope.
Authorities have restricted entry into the 6-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone and advised that aircraft should not fly close to the volcano.
The advisory warned of possible hazards including rockfalls, landslides, avalanches, ballistic fragments, lava flows, lava fountaining, moderate-sized explosions and lahars during heavy and prolonged rainfall.
The government-run Philippine News Agency reported that 1,325 families have been affected. Water supplies will be rationed to several villages, including Quitago, Maguiron, Inamnan Pequeno, Iraya, San Francisco, Travesia, San Rafael, Inamnan Grande, Calzada, Morera, Poblacion and Ilawod.
The Department of Public Works and Highways, water filtration units and sanitation teams are expected to help clear roads and support affected areas.
The Office of Civil Defense-Bicol is assessing immediate needs, including potable water, face masks, N95 masks and medicine for respiratory illnesses.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development will distribute hygiene kits, family food packs and ready-to-eat meals at evacuation centers.
Officials also said reports of damage to livestock and farmland will be coordinated with the Department of Agriculture. (Source: IANS)
