Over 800 families evacuated due to Mayon’s eruption

January 14, 2018

Over 800 families have evacuated from two towns in Albay province due to eruption of Mayon Volcano, an official said on Sunday.

Cedric Daep, chief of the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office, said 836 families from Camalig and Guinobatan towns left their homes as Mayon erupted for the third time Sunday morning.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level of Mayon Volcano to 2 due to increasing unrest.

Phivolcs said third phreatic eruption was recorded at 11:43 am and lasted for 15 minutes.

Ashfall was experienced in Camalig town.

The second eruption was recorded at 8:49 am that lasted for five minutes, while the first one was at 4:21 pm Saturday, which lasted for approximately one hour and 45 minutes.

"The current unrest is probably of magmatic origin, which could lead to more phreatic eruptions or eventually to hazardous magmatic eruptions," Phivolcs said.

Daep said upgrading Mayon's alert level to 3 is possible.

"Phivolcs said based on parameters, chances of upgrading it is higher than downgrading it to Level 1," he said.

He said once the alert level is raised again, the entire population in the danger zone will be evacuated.

More or less 10,000 families may be affected, the official said.

Based on the seasonal wind pattern, the agency said ash fall events may most likely occur on the southwest side of the volcano.

Phivolcs advised the public to be vigilant and desist from entering the six-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone to minimize risks from sudden explosions, rockfall and landslides. Ella Dionisio/DMS