On Sunday, the most active volcano in the Philippines began emitting magma and sulfuric gas, prompting the evacuation of nearly 13,000 residents in the southeast of the country's largest island, according to authorities.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) advised that everyone within a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) radius of Mount Mayon's "danger zone" be evacuated due to the risk of rockfalls, landslides, and ballistic fragmentation.
Philippines' Mayon Volcano Spews Lava in Gentle Eruption
The Philippine Provincial Information Office reported that since the alert level on the volcano was raised to 3 out of a possible 5 on Thursday, 88% of residents residing in the danger zone have been evacuated and efforts are ongoing to relocate the remaining 2%.
Mayon, located 330 kilometers (205 miles) southeast of Manila on the island of Luzon, is one of the world's most active volcanoes, as per CNN.
Images depicted families in the province of Albay carrying their children and possessions, mounting trucks and military vehicles, and seeking refuge in evacuation centers in local schools.
After detecting a "relatively high level of unrest" at the volcano, Phivolcs issued a warning that a dangerous eruption is possible within weeks or days.
Using trucks and buffalo-drawn carriages, residents of the "permanent danger zone" or a radius of six kilometers retreated to shelters. Last week, Mayon, known for its "perfect" conical shape, began emitting magma.
However, evacuations did not begin until the weekend, after volcanic activity intensified and alerts were issued. If Mayon's unrest intensifies in the coming days, more people may be evacuated, according to the country's chief volcanologist, Teresita Bacolcol.
Per BBC, it is presently under the third-highest level of a five-tier system that predicts the possibility of a dangerous or explosive eruption. According to scientists, it is technically erupting, albeit at a sluggish rate, with lava seeping from the crater.
Mayon is one of the country's most active volcanoes. It is located on the agricultural peninsula of Bicol. Recent weeks have witnessed an increase in the frequency of earthquakes and crater-falling boulders.
Bacolcol told local media that a fast-moving current of volcanic gases and debris from the crater poses a threat. These currents will be difficult to outpace. Associated Press correspondents watched for hours as magma flowed down the volcano's southeast gullies.
People hastily exited restaurants and bars along a seaside promenade in Legazpi, the capital of northeastern Albay province, about 14 kilometers (8.5 miles) from Mayon, many of them taking photographs of the picturesque conical-shaped volcano that is a popular tourist attraction.
Mayon Volcano Eruption Sparks Fresh Worries From Residents
The resurgence of Mayon's unrest has also caused new terror and suffering, according to ABC News. Marilyn Miranda stated that she, her daughter, and her recently stroke-stricken 75-year-old mother escaped their home in a village within the danger zone in Guinobatan town on Thursday and sought refuge at a high school that had been converted into an evacuation center.
She stated that her nephew, along with other males in their indigent rural neighborhood, guards their homes and farm animals each day. On Sunday night, they were horrified to see the brilliant red-orange lava flowing down Mayon's slope from the congested evacuation center. "We had this sense that the end was close," Miranda sobbed.
In recent days, Amelia Morales and her family were beset by a series of catastrophes, including the recent eruption of Mayon. Her husband passed away on Friday from an aneurysm and other illnesses, and she was forced to conduct his wake in a congested emergency shelter in Guinobatan because she and her neighbors had been ordered to leave their community near Mayon.
On Monday, the 2,462-meter (8,077-foot) volcano, whose summit is frequently obscured by passing clouds, appeared tranquil. Bacolcol stated that red-hot magma continued to flow down its slopes, but it was difficult to see due to the sun's brightness.
The volcano's alert level was raised to three on a scale of five on Thursday, indicating that it is in a state of elevated unrest and that a dangerous eruption is conceivable within weeks or days.
Bacolcol stated that the alert level would remain at three even though it could be raised if the volcanic eruption abruptly became more dangerous.
The maximum level of alert, level five, would indicate that a violent and life-threatening eruption is occurring, with ash plumes shooting into the atmosphere and superheated pyroclastic streams jeopardizing additional communities in the verdant foothills of Mayon.
Mayon is one of the Philippines' 24 active volcanoes. The most recent violent eruption occurred in 2018, displacing tens of thousands of villagers. In 1814, a volcanic eruption killed 1,200 people and smothered an entire municipality. However, the perimeter was declared off-limits, resulting in fewer casualties during the 2013 and 2018 eruptions.
Related Article : Philippine Mayon Volcano's Increased Activity Raises Chance of Eruption
