Philippines Mayon Volcano Explodes, Violent Eruption Imminent
Baku, January 23, AZERTAC
Thousands of Filipino families have been evacuated in the Philippine province of Albay as the country’s most active volcano inches toward a possibly major eruption.
A thick gray cloud of ash billowed high above the summit of Mount Mayon on Monday, when officials raised the alert level to four, an indication that a hazardous eruption is imminent. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the volcano has been “exhibiting increased seismic unrest, lava fountaining and summit explosions.” The agency also has extended what it calls the “danger zone” to an eight-kilometer radius (nearly five miles) from the volcano’s vent.
Renato Solidum, the agency’s director, described two possible scenarios during a news conference Monday. Mayon will either continue to ooze lava with small eruptions in between like what happened in 2006 and 2009 — or we’re seeing the early stages of a major, and far more catastrophic, blast or pyroclastic flow, a deadly combination of hot lava blocks, pumice, ash and volcanic gas that barrels down a volcanic slope and can devastate residential areas.
Romina Marasigan, spokeswoman for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, told reporters last week that nearly 8,300 families or more than 34,000 people in Albay have been moved to 30 evacuation centers. These include families in areas far from the danger zone but who could be affected by mudflow. Marasigan said it could be weeks before families can return to their homes.
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