Phivolcs: Keep out of 8-km Mayon danger zone, be vigilant

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Institute of Volcanology reminded the public on Tuesday to keep out of the danger zone around Mount Mayon in Albay and "to be additionally vigilant against pyroclastic density currents, lahars and sediment-laden streamflows along channels draining the edifice."

 

Pilots have also been cautioned "to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as ash from any sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft."

 

The alert level around the volcano was raised to level 4 on Monday afternoon after an eight-minute eruption that prompted the suspension of classes in Albay province and the closing off of an eight-kilometer danger zone around the volcano.

Ash from the eruption fell on Guinobatan, Camalig, Oas, Polangui and Iriga City.

 

Level 4 means intense unrest and indicates a hazardous eruption is imminent.

 

There were five instances of "intense but sporadic lava fountaining from the summit crater" of Mayon Volcano between Monday evening and Tuesday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said Tuesday.

 

Phivolcs said in its Tuesday bulletin that the lava fountains — the shortest of which lasted three minutes and the longest lasted for 30 minutes — reached 500 to 700 meters high and generated ash plumes up to 3 kilometers above the crater.

 

"The events fed lava flows on the Miisi and Bonga Gullies, sprayed near-vent lava spatter and fed incandescent rockfall on the summit area," Phivolcs said.