Mayon erupts anew, spews grayish ash

Updated @ 11:37 p.m., Nov. 27, 2018

LEGAZPI CITY — Government volcanologists on Tuesday warned communities around Mount Mayon in Albay province of sudden explosions, lava collapse and ashfalls following a series of volcanic activities from Monday to Tuesday.

In an advisory on Tuesday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said alert status on the volcano remained at Level 2, meaning it was at a moderate level of unrest.

The alert had not been raised even as another phreatic or steam-driven eruption was observed by volcanologists on Mayon early Tuesday.

Phivolcs said the eruption occurred at 5:33 a.m.

It said the gray to grayish white ash ejected from the volcano’s crater reached 300 to 500 meters and drifted southwest.

Four volcanic earthquakes were also recorded in the past 24-hour observation period. Two of these were related to two phreatic eruptions on Monday.

Crater glow

In an interview on Monday, Renato Solidum, Phivolcs director, said an intense crater glow, among other parameters, should be observed before a change in the volcano’s alert status would be considered.

So far, the volcano had exhibited mild to moderate crater glows, Phivolcs said.

“Faint crater glow from the summit could be observed at night,” the Phivolcs advisory said.

It advised residents not to enter the 6-kilometer radius permanent danger zone and the 7-km radius extended danger zone in the volcano’s south-southwest to east-northeast section stretching from the village of Anoling in Camalig town to the village of Sta. Misericordia in Sto. Domingo town.

Pilots were also told to avoid flying near the volcano’s summit as sudden explosions might occur.

In January, Phivolcs raised the alert status over Mayon to 4 (imminent hazardous eruption) after it exhibited signs of heightened unrest.

Thousands of residents were evacuated from various towns around the volcano after Phivolcs warned of the possibility of a hazardous eruption.

In March, Phivolcs lowered the alert level to 2 when the volcano showed decreased activity. /pdi