Over 300 families had to leave their homes after large clouds of ash burst out from the Mayon Volcano over the weekend. This happened when built-up lava on its slopes suddenly collapsed, sending ash into nearby areas, officials reported on Monday.
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According to Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, massive lava deposits on Mayon’s southwestern slope abruptly cascaded down in a pyroclastic flow an avalanche of hot rocks, ash, and gas before dusk on Saturday. However, there was no explosive eruption from Mayon, which has been erupting sporadically since January.
No deaths or injuries were reported, but massive clouds of ash scattered over 87 villages in three towns, catching many by surprise and slowing down motorists due to poor visibility, officials said.
“The ashfall was just so thick and there was zero visibility even in our national road,” Mayor Caloy Baldo of Camalig town, which lies near the volcano’s foothills, said.
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“Some villagers panicked but we advised them to calm down,” Baldo told The Associated Press.
Vegetable farms were damaged by the ashfall, which also killed four water buffaloes and a cow in Camalig, Baldo said, adding that a cleanup was underway in his town of 8,000 people in Albay province.
“It’s calm again now but the danger is always there,” Bacolcol said of Mayon’s condition Monday.
The 2,462-metre (8,077-foot) volcano is one of the Philippines’ top tourism draws because of its near-perfect cone shape. But it’s also the most active of the country’s 24 volcanoes.
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Following a string of minor eruptions that resulted in deadly pyroclastic flows and sporadic rockfalls, some as large as cars, from Mayon’s top crater, authorities increased the five-step warning around the site to level 3 in January.
Alert 5 means an explosive and life-threatening eruption is underway with deadly volcanic lava and pyroclastic flows and heavy ashfall.
