The institute warned that Mayon is in a new phase of magmatic eruption, with increased chances of lava flows and hazardous pyroclastic density currents affecting the upper to middle slopes of the volcano in the immediate days to weeks.
The Philippines' state seismology office reported a moderately explosive eruption at Mount Mayon, one of the country's most active volcanoes, on Friday. The eruption lasted nearly six minutes and fired a dark column of ash thousands of metres into the sky.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the 3,000-metre ash column gradually drifted southwest onto nearby population centres. The institute raised the alert level from 2 to 3 on its 0-5 scale and called for evacuations within six kilometres of the crater.
The institute warned that Mayon is in a new phase of magmatic eruption, with increased chances of lava flows and hazardous pyroclastic density currents affecting the upper to middle slopes of the volcano in the immediate days to weeks. Local officials were urged to evacuate areas near the crater due to the danger of pyroclastic density currents, lava flows, rockfalls, and other volcanic hazards.
The Philippines is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide. The country's most powerful eruption in recent decades was Mount Pinatubo in 1991, which killed more than 800 people and produced an ash cloud that travelled thousands of kilometres.
The eruption of Mount Mayon is a significant event, and the authorities' decision to raise the alert level and call for evacuations indicates the potential danger to the surrounding population. The situation will likely be closely monitored in the coming days and weeks, as the volcano's activity continues to evolve.
