Thousands Evacuate as Philippine Volcano Spews Ash; 'Hazardous Eruption' Possible

By Associated Press

less than an hour ago

weather.com

00:37

Thousands Evacuate as Volcano Spews Ash

Roughly 3,000 people were evacuated from areas near Mount Mayon in the Philippines Sunday as the volcano began to spew ash and steam.

At a Glance

• A volcano in Albay province in northeastern Philippines began to spew steam and ash into villages on Saturday.
• A "hazardous eruption" of Mount Mayon could happen "within weeks or days."
• Around 3,000 people were evacuated Sunday.

Roughly 3,000 people were evacuated from areas near Mount Mayon in the Philippines Sunday as the volcano began to spew ash and steam.

The Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert status of the volcano to Alert Level 3, which means that Mount Mayon is showing "increased tendency towards hazardous eruption." 

Lava began rising to the crater of Mount Mayon, the Philippines' most active volcano, in a gentle eruption on Sunday.
Renato Solidum, who heads the volcanology institute, said three steam-explosions at the volcano since Saturday have spewed ash into nearby villages and may have breached solidified lava at the crater and caused lava to start to flow out of the 8,070-foot volcano.
(MORE: Papua New Guinea Volcano Erupts)
"Lava has flowed out of the volcano's crater already but it's just starting. It's a non-explosive eruption," Solidum told The Associated Press. "We have to verify tomorrow if it will flow continuously."
Disaster-response officials said nearly 1,000 families have been moved to emergency shelters, including some from a permanent danger zone around Mayon, since the volcano started spewing steam and ash on Saturday.
A popular tourist attraction because of its near-perfect cone, Mayon lies in coconut-producing Albay province, about 210 miles southeast of Manila.
The volcano has erupted about 50 times in the last 500 years, sometimes violently, endangering thousands of poor villagers who insist on living or farming in the danger zone.
Villagers living near the volcano, which last erupted four years ago, have erected huge white crosses at the entrance of their neighborhoods, hoping they will protect them from harm.
On May 7, 2013, the volcano suddenly spewed ash, killing five climbers, including three Germans, who had ventured near the summit despite warnings of possible danger.