Lava flows from the crater of Mayon Volcano as seen in these photos taken from Daraga, Albay on Thursday, June 15. | PHOTO: INQUIRER.net / Ram Nabong
MANILA, Philippines — An earthquake along with 372 rockfall events and seven pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) were monitored in Mayon Volcano over the last 24 hours, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said on Wednesday,
Based on its 5 a.m. bulletin, Phivolcs said that the volcano continued to display “intensified unrest or magmatic unrest.” It stays under Alert Level 3 due to “potential explosive activity within days or weeks.”
On June 27, Phivolcs monitored higher volcanic quakes at 107, lower rockfall events at 241, and higher PDCs at 17.
Mayon continues to effuse “very slow” lava flow, which has extended to 1.6 kilometers (km) and 1.2 km along Mi-isi and Bonga Gullies, respectively, while the collapse debris has expanded to 3.3 km from the crater, according to the agency.
Phivolcs also reported that the volcano had increased its sulfur dioxide emission daily from 753 tons logged on June 27 to 964 tons, with plumes reaching 800 meters tall while drifting west-northwest.
Locals within the area warned that rockfalls, landslides, avalanches, ballistic fragments, lava flows, and moderate-sized explosions, among others, might occur amid Mayon’s unrest.
Based on the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Mayon’s unrest had already affected 38,989 individuals residing in 26 barangays within Bicol Region.