A moderately forceful eruption of Mayon Volcano on Oct. 30 led authorities to raise its alert to Level 3 and send more than 2,000 people from Albay communities to safety.
By 5 p.m. Friday, local disaster officials reported that 2,041 people from 746 families had been evacuated from Tabaco City, Camalig and Ligao City. The evacuees included residents living inside Mayon’s six-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said the eruption began at 11:53 a.m. and lasted nearly six minutes.
It sent an ash plume about 3,000 meters above the crater. Alert Level 3 means the volcano is more likely to have a dangerous eruption. PHIVOLCS warned that the chances of lava flows and dangerous pyroclastic density currents were higher on Mayon’s upper and middle slopes.
These currents are fast-moving flows of hot gas, ash and volcanic material. Officials advised people to stay out of the danger zone because of those threats, as well as rockfalls and other hazards. Ashfall was expected in parts of Albay.
Provincial authorities suspended classes. On Saturday, at least 1,477 evacuees were still in evacuation centers. Authorities reported ongoing volcanic earthquakes and rockfall activity.
They had not set a date for residents to return.