MAYON VOLCANO ERUPTS, ALERT LEVEL 3 UP

MAYON Volcano in the province of Albay in Bicol region on Friday erupted sending thousands of families away from their homes.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), Alert level 3 was raised following the volcano’s moderately explosive eruption.

Alert Level 3 means that the volcano is showing high level of volcanic unrest or entering a new phase of magmatic eruption, signaling an increased tendency towards a hazardous eruption within weeks or even days.

Phivolcs said the eruption occurred at 11:53 a.m.  Friday and lasted for nearly six minutes.

Mayon Volcano spewed a plume of ash about 3 kilometers into the sky.  The ash column gradually drifted southwest onto nearby population centers, according to Phivolcs. 

“Mayon is in a new phase of magmatic eruption, with increased chances of lava flows and hazardous pyroclastic density currents affecting the upper to middle slopes of the volcano in the immediate days to weeks,” Phivolcs said.

Entry into the 6-kilometer danger zone around the volcano was prohibited.

Local officials were urged to evacuate residents in areas near the crater due to dangers of lava flows, rock flows and other volcanic hazards.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on Friday issued a Notice to Airmen (Notam) for pilots to avoid flying near the crater following the eruption.

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