Mount Mayon volcano in Philippines spews ash and lava, more than 56,000 have fled
LEGAZPI, Philippines — The Philippines' most active volcano spewed fountains of red-hot lava and massive ash plumes anew Tuesday in a dazzling but increasingly dangerous eruption that has sent more than 56,000 villagers fleeing to evacuation centers.
Lava fountains gushed up 700 meters (2,300 feet) above Mount Mayon's crater and ash plumes rose up to 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) Monday night. At least three major blasts followed Tuesday, including an explosion at nightfall that was capped by one of the most massive lava displays since the volcano started acting up more than a week ago, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.
"We couldn't sleep last night because of the loud rumblings. It sounded like an airplane that's about to land," Quintin Velardo, a 59-year-old farmer, told The Associated Press at an evacuation center in Legazpi city where he took his wife, children and grandchildren on Tuesday.
Despite the danger, he said he needed to return to his village, about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the erupting volcano, to take his cow and water buffalo to safety. A few minutes later, the volcano belched a massive column of grayish ash that punched through white clouds into the blue sky.
"There it goes again," Velardo said, his family huddled near him.
Authorities warned a violent eruption may occur in hours or days, characterized by more rumblings and pyroclastic flows — superheated gas and volcanic debris that race down the slopes at high speeds, vaporizing everything in their path.
After Monday's explosion, officials raised Mayon's alert level to four on a scale of five, and the danger zone was expanded to 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the crater, requiring thousands more residents to be evacuated, including at least 12,000 who returned to their homes last week as Mayon's rumblings temporarily eased and then scrambled back to the emergency shelters this week.
At least 56,217 people were taking shelter in 46 evacuation camps Tuesday and army
Mayon Volcano Eruption
Mayon Volcano Eruption, 24th of January 2018, 6AM
Credits : Ronald C. Rebutica
Mayon Volcano Eruption
Watch the Philippines' Mayon volcano explode in this latest stunning aerial video.
Credits : Charism Sayat
Mayon’s beautiful fury at sunset
Alert level 4 remains over the Mount Mayon, one of the world's most beautiful volcanoes, as of Tuesday evening.
As seen on photos taken by GMA's Raffy Tima, Mt. Mayon's smooth, conical shape was tipped with the glaring orange of lava that the volcano continues to spew, along with tall clouds of ash.
The fountaining continued as the sun set over the province of Albay, where nearly 36,000 residents have been evacuated from the eight-kilometer danger zone of the volcano.
On Saleema Refran's report on "State of the Nation with Jessica Soho," residents and photographers continued to admire allure of the volcano amid its unrest.
However, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) head Cedric Daep warned about the hazards of coming in contact with pyroclastic flow from the volcano.
"Kapag tinamaan 'yung katawan mo, parang kang oven-baked. Kapag natamaan 'yung skin mo, tagos sa buto," Daep said.
For safety, the danger zone has been extended to nine kilometers in areas Camalig, Santo Domingo and Guinobatan. The report said authorities have started mandatory evacuations in these areas, as well.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has been closely monitoring the volcano whether this kind of activity and explosions will be more frequent.
Alert Level 4 is one grade lower than Level 5, the highest possible level, which would mean that a hazardous eruption was ongoing and may prompt the evacuation of up 39,000 residents.
The Alert Level was first raised to 4 on Monday afternoon upon a phreatomagmatic eruption that produced thick ash clouds that covered a large part of Albay province, and was followed by pyroclastic flows.
A similar eruption occurred Tuesday morning at 1:32 a.m. accompanied by lava fountaining, thick greyish fog and loud rumbling sounds.
The Albay PDRRMC has suspended classes in all levels and work in public and private offices in some towns in Albay and its neigh
Mayon Volcano
Watch Mayon volcano spews up stones/lava
The Legend Of Mayon Volcano (Filipino/Tagalog Folktale)
Mayon Volcano is one of the most beautiful volcanoes in the world, known for its perfect cone shape. This is a retelling of one of the many stories of how this volcano came to be in both english and the filipino language. Plus some fun facts of the Philippines at the end.
Mayon Volcano Eruption (Part 1)
Pagsabog ng Mayon Volcano January 22, 2018
Mayon Volcano Eruption (Part 2)
Pagsabog ng Mayon Volcano January 22, 2018
Mayon Volcano Eruption
Mayon Volcano Eruption
Mayon Volcano
Landscape: Mayon Volcano under the starry night skies
50mm, ISO 100, 25sec f/7.1
Credits to : Jerry Jethro Calag
Mayon Volcano Eruption
Lava continues to cascade down the slopes of Mayon volcano as seen from Legazpi city, Albay province, around 340 kilometers (210 miles) southeast of Manila, Philippines, at dawn Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018. Glowing red lava was rolling down the slopes of a Philippine volcano as authorities maintain a warning of a possible hazardous eruption.
Photo Credits : Renato Jao, Richard Esplana, Tom Falcon and all.
#MayonVolcanoEruption #Albay #Bicol
MAYON Timelapse as of 8PM. (Video Courtesy: Ronald Rebutica)
Lava flowing down the slopes of Mayon Volcano lit up the sky in Albay on Monday night.
Netizens who live near the volcano have shared their photos of the erupting volcano.
One of them is Department of Science and Technology employee Richard Esplana, who snapped the photo from Brgy. Tamaoyan in Legazpi City.
Esplana, who lives within the 10-kilometer danger zone, advised his fellow Bicolanos to tune in to government advisories and follow the precautionary measures.
Mayon is under Alert Level 3, meaning "increased tendency towards hazardous eruption," Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) research specialist Paul Alanis told ABS-CBN News.
More than 12,000 residents living near the volcano have already fled to evacuation centers, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Wedding videographer Ronald Rebutica, meanwhile, took a time-lapse video of the eruption as seen from Barangay Rawis in Legaspi City. Rebutica uploaded it on Facebook and received much attention from netizens.
As of this writing, Rebutica's video has already garnered 3,364 shares and over 40,000 views.
Mayon, known for its near-perfect cone, last erupted in 2014. Its most destructive eruption was in February 1841, when lava flows buried a town and killed 1,200 people.
#MayonVolcanoEruption #Albay #Bicol #LavaFlow