The Philippines’ most active volcano has begun spewing lava in a gentle eruption, putting thousands of people on heightened alert for the possibility of a violent explosion that would force them to suddenly evacuate from their homes.
More than 12,000 villagers have left their homes so far in mandatory evacuations from the mostly poor farming communities within a 6km radius of Mayon volcano’s crater in northeastern Albay province.
Those evacuations began after the volcano begun showing signs of renewed restlessness last week.
Authorities cautioned that thousands more remain within the permanent danger zone below Mayon, which has long been declared off limits.
With the volcano beginning to expel lava last night, the high-risk zone around Mayon may be expanded should the eruption turn violent, said Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
Bacolcol said if that happens, people in any expanded danger zone should be prepared to evacuate to emergency shelters.
From a distance last night, a team of Associated Press journalists witnessed the volcano spewing lava down its southeastern gullies for hours.
People hurriedly stepped out of restaurants and bars in a seaside district of Albay’s capital city of Legazpi, about 14km from Mayon, many snapping pictures of the country’s most popular volcano.
Albay was placed under a state of emergency on Friday to allow for quicker distribution of any disaster relief funds in the event of a major eruption.
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On Thursday, authorities raised the alert level for the 2462-metre volcano.
Largest volcanic eruptions in the world
A key tourist draw for its picturesque conical shape, Mayon is one of the country’s 24 active volcanoes.
In 1814, Mayon’s eruption buried entire villages and reportedly left more than 1000 people dead.
But many of Albay’s people have accepted the volcano’s sporadic fury as part of their lives.
Aside from villagers living in communities perilously close to the volcano, authorities and villagers began moving large numbers of cows and water buffaloes on Sunday from high-risk farms to 25 temporary grazing area a safe distance away.
They’re following more than 12,600 villagers who have moved to emergency shelters since last week, when Mayon began spewing superheated gas and producing heavy ashfall in a sign of a possible major eruption imminent within days or weeks.
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