Earthquakes, rockfalls increase at Philippines volcano

September 17, 2014 08:20 am | Updated November 16, 2021 05:48 pm IST - Manila

In this Feb 2014 photo, smoke billows from the crater of Mayon volcano, one of Philippines' most active volcanoes. The volcano has belched out lava fragments as big as a bus that rolled one kilometer down its slope, prompting authorities to start evacuating thousands of villagers, officials said on Tuesday.

In this Feb 2014 photo, smoke billows from the crater of Mayon volcano, one of Philippines' most active volcanoes. The volcano has belched out lava fragments as big as a bus that rolled one kilometer down its slope, prompting authorities to start evacuating thousands of villagers, officials said on Tuesday.

Earth tremors and rockfalls at the Philippines’ most active volcano intensified overnight as thousands evacuated ahead of an anticipated eruption, government scientists said on Wednesday.

A bright crater glow was also monitored overnight at Mayon Volcano in Albay province, 330 kilometres south-east of Manila, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

Since the institute raised the alert at Mayon to level 3, the number of volcanic earthquakes rose to 45 from 32 and rock falls rose to 270 from 79 in the past 24 hours, according to its latest bulletin.

The alert level “means that magma is at the crater and that hazardous eruption is possible within weeks,” the institute added.

Albay provincial Governor Joey Salceda has ordered the mandatory evacuation of up to 12,000 families living in danger zones around the volcano. Military trucks were dispatched to pick up the residents.

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