Zero alert status maintained on Mayon—Phivolcs

SURPRISE ERUPTION Mount Mayon, one of the Philippines’ most active volcanoes, rumbled to life after daybreak on Tuesday, spewing ash and rocks at 27 surprised climbers, killing five and injuring others. AFP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Wednesday maintained its zero alert status on Mayon Volcano, indicating no imminent eruption a day after steam-driven explosions rocked the volcano and left five trekkers, including four German nationals dead.

In a bulletin, the agency said it detected no increase in overall volcanic activity, and all seismic parameters remained within background levels in the past 24 hours. It monitored only two minor rock-fall events on the slopes of the volcano.

“Phivolcs still maintains Alert Level 0 over Mayon Volcano, which means that no magmatic eruption is imminent,” Phivolcs said.

However, the agency warned the public about “small phreatic eruptions,” including small steam and ash explosions that may occur suddenly with little or no warning.

On Tuesday morning, steam trapped in the crater of the volcano triggered a series of explosions, dislodging rocks and emitting gray to brown ash clouds that rose half a kilometer above the summit, seismologists said.

Phivolcs said the steam and ash ejections lasted about two minutes and 26 seconds. But the agency dispelled fears of any imminent magmatic eruption.

The ash clouds rose 500 meters high above the summit and precipitated traces of ash in the areas west-northwest of the volcano, affecting the villages of Muladbucad, Guinobatan and Nabonton, Nasisi, Basag and Tambo, Ligao City, Albay, and areas up slope of these villages, Phivolcs said.

Phivolcs also strongly reminded the public not to enter Mayon’s six-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone due to the “perennial threat of sudden steam-driven eruptions and rock falls from the upper and middle slopes of the volcano.”