Mayon eruption: Philippines' most active volcano could erupt within 'days', experts warn
Lava and ash clouds make surrounding area treacherous
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Your support makes all the difference.Thousands of people have fled from villages near the Philippines’ most active volcano after lava flowed from its crater, with scientists warning it could turn explosive “within days”.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology increased the alert level for Mount Mayon, located in the city of Legazpi.
Lava flowed around half a mile from the crater and huge ash clouds billowed into the sky as fragments of molten rock rolled down the mountain.
More than 14,700 people have been moved from high risk areas across three cities and four towns.
“There are some who still resist but if we reach alert level four, we’ll really be obligated to resort to forced evacuation,” Cedric Daep, an emergency official said. Level four signifies the volcano could erupt violently within days.
Three steam-explosions have spewed ash into nearby villages and caused lava to start gushing out.
“Lava has flowed out of the volcano’s crater already, but it’s just starting. It’s a non-explosive eruption,” Renato Solidum, the head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.
“We have to verify tomorrow if it will flow continuously.”
Mayon has erupted about 50 times in the last 500 years, sometimes violently, and in 2013 an ash eruption killed five climbers, including three Germans, who had ventured near the summit despite warnings of possible danger.
The first recorded eruption was in 1616 and the most destructive was in 1814, which killed 1,200 people and buried the town of Cagsawa in volcanic mud.
Agencies contributed to this report
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