Philippines To Evacuate Approx 18,000 People to safety from the Mayon Volcano
The Mayon Volcano is erupting in Albay province, about 500 kilometers southeast of the capital Manila, and the Philippine government on Friday ordered the evacuation of all residents within a six-kilometer danger zone.
More than 18,000 residents of 14 villages located within the danger zone must be evacuated to safety, according to the Albay Provincial Information Office.
At least 10,000 people had been evacuated by the local government, and it would take a few days to get rid of all the affected communities inside the danger zone.
On the southernmost tip of the island of Luzon, the province of Albay is currently in a condition of catastrophe.
The precise number of people who were evacuated is still being determined by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
The volcano started erupting on Thursday, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, which also issued a warning about “potential explosive activity within weeks or even days.”
The institute increased the alarm at the 2,460-meter Mayon volcano to level three of a five-level warning system.
The overall monitoring parameters showed that shallow degassed magma was still being extruded, according to the institute.
The most active volcano in the Philippines is Mayon.
When it last erupted in January 2018, more than 23,000 people had to be evacuated from nine cities and municipalities.
