Mayon erupts anew; ash fall seen to affect more areas – officials
The Mayon Volcano. (AP FILE PHOTO/Bullit Marquez)
LEGAZPI CITY – The ash fall from Mt. Mayon are expected to affect more areas after the country’s most active volcano erupted once again on Tuesday morning.
Officials said that at around 11:51 a.m., Mayon spurted an ash column of about 1,250 meters high.
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Renato Solidum Jr. said that the pyroclastic flow made its way to Miisi Gully in Daraga and Basud Gully in Sto. Domingo town.
He likewise said that the Miisi Gully was also the path of the pyroclastic flow Monday evening.
According to Melvin Almojuela, of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), the wind forecast from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at 2.4-altitude from the crater is moving towards the south-southeast with the speed of 2.4 km. per hour.
He said that the wind direction may bring ash fall to the towns of Camalig and Daraga as well as parts of Legazpi City.
At around 7:50 p.m. on Monday, Phivolcs recorded energetic lava effusion with sporadic lava fountaining events causing pyroclastic flows until 11:06 p.m. The lava fountain reached around 200 meters high and the ash column reached 1.5 kilometers high. This caused the heavy ash fall in Guinobatan and parts of Camalig towns.
According to Phivolcs’ latest bulletin posted at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, their monitoring network has recorded 119 volcanic quakes, nine tremor events, two lava fountaining events, two pyroclastic flows due to lava collapse, and 68 rock fall events.
Alert Level 4 is still raised over Mayon Volcano.
Also on Tuesday, Albay Public Safety and Emergency Office said that the number of evacuees in towns affected by Mayon’s unrest has reached 84,339 persons or 21,880 families.
