Thousands more evacuate as eruption of Mt. Mayon looms

The number of people evacuated has increased to more than 20,000 as the lava from the Mayon Volcano continued to flow.

As of Tuesday, January 16, a total of 5,318 families or 21,823 individuals have been affected in 25 barangays in the towns of Camalig, Guinobatan, Ligao City, Daraga, Tabaco City, and Malilipot in Albay and were staying in 18 evacuation centers, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Tuesday.

Mina Marasigan, NDRRMC spokesperson, said classes remain suspended in areas where classrooms have been used as evacuation centers.

READ: Guinobatan, Camalig suspend classes as Mayon Volcano stays restless

Mayon volcano as of January 16, 2018, 8 am. Contributed photo by Vynce Opeña

Alert Level 3 is still in effect over Mayon Volcano, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said. This means “that it is currently in a relatively high level of unrest as magma is at the crater and hazardous eruption is possible within weeks or days.”

“A total of nine (9) episodes of tremor, four (4) of which accompanied short-duration lava fountaining, and 75 lava collapse events, corresponding to rockfall along the front and margins of advancing lava and short pyroclastic flows downriver of Miisi Gully within the permanent danger zone, were recorded by Mayon’s seismic network,” Phivolcs said.

READ: Albay suspends classes in areas affected by ash fall, schools used by evacuees

Residents were advised to be vigilant, and to refrain from entering the six kilometer-radius permanent danger zone (PDZ); and seven-kilometer extended danger zone on the southern flanks of the mountain due to the danger of rock falls, landslides, and sudden explosions or dome collapse that may generate hazardous volcanic flows.  /kga