Residents in ash fall-affected areas advised to stay indoors

LEGAZPI CITY – The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Siesmology advised residents in villages affected by ash fall from Mt. Mayon not to go out of their houses, following a “phreatic” explosion at around 8 a.m. Tuesday.

Ash columns were noted 500 meters towards the southwest.

Ash is now being experienced in the Muladbucad, Guinobatan town, according to Alex Baloloy, science research specialist of Philvocs here.

Ash fall was also reported in the towns of Oas and in Ligao City.

Baloloy, however, stressed that Mt. Mayon neither exploded nor was there an imminent eruption and thus alert level 0 was still being maintained.

What happened, he said, were “small” ash explosions, including small steam ash ejections.

Still, Baloloy advised the public not to venture into the 6-kilometer danger zone of the volcano.

Unfortunately, there were three groups of mountaineers composed of about 20 persons were on a trek to Mt. Mayon when the phreatic explosion occurred.

Two persons – a Filipino tour guide and a foreigner — on a trek near the mouth of Mt. Mayon were reportedly killed and an undetermined number of mountain climbers, mostly tourists, were hurt, he said.

Meanwhile, aviation authorities in the city also declared the area around Mt. Mayon a no fly zone and ordered the cancellation of all flights coming and leaving the Legazpi City Airport, which is at the foot of the volcano.