Thousands of people living near Mayon Volcano in the central Philippines had to be evacuated on Sunday (June 11) to escape the dangers posed by ash, burning rocks and toxic gases rising from the crater.
Seismologists have reported at least one volcanic earthquake recorded in the past twenty-four hours and fiery rock falls within a 2 kilometer radius of the volcano. These come from the lava dome disintegrating under the pressure of molten magma, said the Philippine Institute of Vulcanology and Seismology.
Nearly 13,000 people, mostly residents of farming villages at or near the foot of the volcano, have been evacuated, the national civil defense office said. “There are health risks from being near the eruption right now, from inhaling sulfur dioxide or from falling ash,” the health minister told reporters on Sunday. Teodoro Herbosa.
Last eruption in 2018
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Junior called on residents of the province of Albay, where the volcano is located, the day before “to follow the recommendations and evacuation instructions of local authorities”.
Mayon, located 330 kilometers southeast of the capital, Manila, is considered one of the most unstable of the country’s 24 active volcanoes, located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”. Five years ago, it spewed out millions of tons of ash, rocks and lava, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.
The most powerful volcanic eruption in decades was Pinatubo in 1991, which killed more than 800 people and produced an ash cloud that spread for thousands of miles.
