Mayon eruption sends ash skyward; volcano alert level raised

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said the “moderately explosive eruption”  that lasted nearly six minutes spewed a plume of ash about 3 kilometers into the sky.  

The ash column gradually drifted southwest onto nearby population centers. 

“Mayon is in a new phase of magmatic eruption, with increased chances of lava flows and hazardous PDCs (pyroclastic density currents)… affecting the upper to middle slopes of the volcano in the immediate days to weeks,” PHIVOLCS said.

PHIVOLCS raised alert level 3 out of 5-step scale, which meant that entry into the 6-kilometer danger zone around the volcano was prohibited.

It urged local officials to evacuate areas near the crater “due to the danger of PDCs, lava flows, rockfalls and other volcanic hazards”, with planes also advised to avoid flying close to the mountain.

Provincial authorities ordered the evacuation of thousands of residents from eight towns and cities surrounding Mayon.

Albay Governor Noel Rosal has suspended classes at all levels in public and private schools in the province.  

Mayon, a near-perfect cone located about 330 kilometers southeast of the capital Manila, is considered one of the most volatile of the country’s 24 active volcanoes.

In June 2023, more than 12,000 people living on its lower slopes were moved to evacuation centers to protect them from ash and toxic gases spewing from its crater.

Earthquakes and volcanic activity are common in the Philippines 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.