The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert status from 2 to 3 following a six-minute explosive event that produced a 3,000-metre dark ash plume. Ash drifted southwest over populated areas, prompting experts to enforce a strict six-kilometre exclusion zone around the summit crater. While no immediate injuries or structural damages occurred, the 2,462-metre peak has a history of major unrest, including an incident in June 2023 that forced over 12,000 people to flee their homes.
Key points
Surrounding communities southwest of the mountain face heightened threats from drifting a…: Surrounding communities southwest of the mountain face heightened threats from drifting ashfall and potential lava flows.
Scientists warned that the transition to a magmatic eruption phase could generate hazardo…: Scientists warned that the transition to a magmatic eruption phase could generate hazardous pyroclastic density currents on the slopes.
The volcano previously prompted the evacuation of more than 12,000 residents during a per…: The volcano previously prompted the evacuation of more than 12,000 residents during a period of unrest in June 2023.
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Authorities called for evacuations within 6km of the crater.
MANILA: One of the Philippines' most active volcanoes fired a dark column of ash thousands of metres into the sky on Friday (Oct 30) in a "moderately explosive eruption" that lasted nearly six minutes, the state seismology office said.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage in towns and cities surrounding Mount Mayon, but the country's volcano institute raised the alert level from 2 to 3 on its 0-5 scale and called for evacuations within 6km of the crater.
The 3,000m ash column gradually drifted southwest onto nearby population centres, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a bulletin.
"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," it said.
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…
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