The alert for Mayon Volcano in the Philippines province of Albay is raised from level three to level four by local authorities, meaning a "hazardous eruption is imminent".

Lava fountains shoot out of the Mayon volcano in Albay, the Philippines, on the night of January 21, 2018. (Credit: ABC)

The alert for Mayon Volcano in the Philippines province of Albay has been raised from level three to level four by local authorities, meaning a "hazardous eruption is imminent".

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the volcano was experiencing "intense unrest".

The institute upgraded the alert to level four just a few minutes after the volcano suddenly erupted lava at around noon local time.

The highest alert level is five.

Local authorities have evacuated residents nearby and expanded the alert area to eight kilometres.

There are no reports of any chaos so far in the surrounding area.

The volcano became active on January 13 and its alert level was raised from level one to level three, before going quiet for a week.

Albay Governor Al Francis Bichara said all schools in the province would be suspended on January 23.

Mount Mayon — one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines and famous for its beauty and near-perfect symmetry — is located on Luzon Island, more than 300 kilometres south-east of the Philippines capital Manila, and has an elevation of 2,462 metres. </s> LEGAZPI CITY—The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Thursday raised the alert level over Mt. Mayon in Albay province from zero to 1 after it observed abnormalities around the volcano.

Ed Laguerta, resident volcanologist of Phivolcs here, said 146 earthquakes had been recorded in areas around the volcano from Aug. 3 to 6, with epicenter traced to Santo Domingo town.

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Laguerta also described the volcano’s base ground as “inflated.” Michael Jaucian, Inquirer Southern Luzon

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MOST READ </s> The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has recorded a volcanic earthquake on the Mayon Volcano in southeastern Luzon, a day after warning locals to avoid areas close to the active dome due to "abnormal activity".

The warning to the residents of Legazpi city of Albay province, located in the northern Philippines' Luzon island, came after the volcano's monitoring network detected an earthquake in the past 24 hours as well as the emission of white steam plumes and sulfur dioxide emissions indicating that magma is moving up from underneath the volcano.

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 "Phreatic explosion may happen anytime but a big explosion is expected in the coming days," said PHILVOCS resident volcanologist Eduardo Laguerta, who noted that a similar "period of unrest" had occurred before a previous Mayon eruption.

The volcano's last eruption in September 2014 forced more than 58,000 people to flee their homes.

Mayon is one of the most well known of the Philippines' 18 active volcanoes. </s> The spewing lava was the result of an extreme explosion from the Philippines’ most active volcano, prompting authorities to warn an eruption is imminent. Footage from Rappler shows ash and lava shoot out of Mount Mayon as fears of a violent eruption grows. Up to 56,000 residents have been forced to evacuate from nearby villages following two explosions from the volcano - one on Monday evening and another on Tuesday morning. The danger zone surrounding the volcano was expanded to 9 kilometres following the second explosion.

Lava spilt out of the Mayon volcano and a could of ash rose up to 1.9 miles, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. Philippine Red Cross tweeted: “Just in. Another explosion of Mayon Volcano taken at 5:50pm today. “Our team was at Barangay Kimantong, Darage, Albay when this video was taken. Let us continue to be alert and safe!” On Monday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised its alert on Mayon to level 4, signifying an eruption is due within days or hours. A level 4 alert means Mt Mayon is active, with persistent tremors, low-frequency type earthquake. But a level 5 alert signifies a hazardous eruption is underway.

The volcano, located in the Albay province of central Philippines, first spewed ash on Saturday afternoon - followed by a further five-minute eruption on Sunday morning. Director of Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology Renato Solidum warned during a media briefing Monday that the explosion could be similar to that of 2001. Mr Solidum said the movement of hot lava blocks, pumice, ash and gas along the slopes of Mt Mayon could reach up to three kilometers. Mount Mayon’s last eruption took place in 2013 when four climbers and their guide died after trekking near the summit. </s> The Philippines raised the alert level for the country's most active volcano twice in 24 hours Sunday, meaning that a hazardous eruption is possible within days.

A bright glow from Mayon volcano's summit crater indicated the start of lava flow, while steam and ash plumes were produced by three steam-driven eruptions, according to the country's volcanology institute.

Mayon's status was raised late Sunday to Level Three, meaning "increased tendency towards hazardous eruption".

"This means that Mayon is exhibiting relatively high unrest and that magma is at the crater and that hazardous eruption is possible within weeks or even days," the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said in a statement.

More than 900 families have been evacuated and temporarily sheltered at nearby schools, a national disaster agency spokesperson told the Manila Bulletin.

A seven-kilometre (four-mile) extended danger zone has been recommended on the volcano's southern flank. The public is urged to be vigilant and avoid entering the area "due to the danger of rockfalls, landslides and sudden explosions or dome collapse that may generate hazardous volcanic flows", Phivolcs said.

Civil aviation authorities were told to advise pilots against flying near the summit due to the danger of erupting ash, which can be hazardous to aircraft.

The 2,460-metre (8,070-foot) Mayon, located about 330 kilometres southeast of Manila, has a long history of deadly eruptions.

Four foreign tourists and their local guide were killed when Mayon erupted in May 2013.

In 1814 more than 1,200 people were killed when lava flows buried the town of Cagsawa.

An explosion in August 2006 did not cause direct deaths, but four months later a typhoon unleashed an avalanche of volcanic mud from Mayon's slopes that killed 1,000 people.

"For the past 24 hours, Mayon Volcano in Albay Province has noticeably increased its unrest," warned Phivolcs. </s> MANILA
• The Philippines has raised the alert level at its restive Mayon volcano for the second time in less than 24 hours, from "increasing unrest" to "increased tendency towards eruption" within weeks or even days.

"This means that Mayon is exhibiting relatively high unrest and that magma is at the crater and that hazardous eruption is possible within weeks or even days," the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said in its latest advisory yesterday.

After three phreatic or steam-driven eruptions and 158 rockfall events between 4.21pm on Saturday local time and 7.25pm yesterday, Phivolcs said Mayon's summit crater "is now exhibiting bright crater glow that signifies the growth of a new lava dome and beginnings of lava flow towards the southern slopes".

Already, the authorities have ordered the evacuation of residents within the 6km radius permanent danger zone and a 7km extended danger zone on the southern flank due to the danger of rockfalls, landslides and sudden explosions or dome collapse that may generate hazardous volcanic flows.

More than 900 families were ordered to evacuate from villages near the volcano, a tourist attraction in Albay province because of its near-perfect cone shape. The volcano is more than 300km south-east of the Philippine capital of Manila.

Mayon's most destructive eruption was in February 1841, when lava flows buried a town and killed 1,200 people. It last erupted in 2014, spewing lava and forcing thousands of people to evacuate.

"The public is strongly advised to be vigilant and desist from entering the 6km radius permanent danger zone to minimise risks from sudden explosions, rockfall and landslides," Phivolcs said.

It also advised people experiencing ashfall to cover their noses and mouths with a damp, clean cloth or dust mask. It added that aircraft must avoid flying close to the volcano's summit.

Those within the slope of the volcano but outside the 6km danger zone were told to take precautionary measures against possible roof collapses due to accumulated ash and rainwater.

Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum said the volcano appeared due for another eruption as it has been displaying abnormal behaviour since late last year.

Separately, thousands of residents of an island near a Papua New Guinea (PNG) volcano have been evacuated after escalating eruptions triggered fears of a possible landslide and tsunami, the authorities and reports said yesterday.

The previously dormant volcano, more than 500m high, on the northern island of Kadovar off PNG, erupted on Jan 5 with all 600 residents evacuated. But volcanic activity significantly escalated in recent days, culminating in a big blast last Friday, the Rabaul Volcanological Observatory (RVO) said.

"The rocks were glowing red... previous to this blast, it was observed that the fracture, which was apparent in the initial aerial photos, running from the summit dome down to the coast, had apparently widened," the RVO said.

PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill warned yesterday of a possible tsunami. "The terrain around the (Kadovar) volcano is very steep, so this increases the risk of a large landslide that could trigger a tsunami," he said, referring to the danger of landmass entering water at a high speed.

Mr O'Neill added that flights had been cancelled and all ships and boats not involved with the evacuation effort were to keep clear of the area. </s> (CNN) The Philippines' most active volcano has begun erupting again, after thousands of people on the main island of Luzon were earlier forced to evacuate.

A photo of Mayon volcano published late Monday local time by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) showed lava flows pouring down its side and a large plume of fiery smoke above the summit.

Authorities on Sunday upgraded the alert level at the Mayon volcano in the southern part of Luzon to "level 3" after observing steam eruptions and a bright lava glow.

As many as 3,000 villagers fled their homes while the volcano spewed ash, according to CNN affiliate CNN Philippines.

PHIVOLCS issued the alert indicating an "increased tendency towards hazardous eruption" after three steam-driven eruptions and dozens of rockfalls on Sunday afternoon.

A "bright crater glow" at the summit crater indicates "the growth of a new lava dome and beginnings of lava flow towards the southern slopes," the agency said.

Mayon Volcano raising to Alert Level 3 pic.twitter.com/3RJMj8TZRR — PHIVOLCS-DOST (@phivolcs_dost) January 14, 2018

The agency recommended creating an 11 km (7 mile) danger zone around the volcano to mitigate against "rockfalls, landslides and sudden explosions or dome collapse."

The tweet also advised pilots not to fly near the summit since ash could be hazardous to aircraft.

The last time Mayon erupted, the volcano exhibited similar activity beforehand, PHIVOLCS Director Renato Solidum told CNN Philippines.

Over the weekend, authorities ordered the evacuation of areas at the foot of the volcano. More than 900 families from 16 neighborhoods in the vicinity of the volcano were moved to shelters in neighboring towns, CNN Philippines quoted the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Coordinating Council (NDRRMC) as reporting.

However, Solidum added that the activity so far may not lead to an explosive eruption.

"Sometimes this eruption activity need not really result (in) very explosive eruptions. Sometimes it would result (in) non-explosive eruptions where lava would ooze out of the crater, but not explode," Solidum said.

Active volcano

Situated on the island of Luzon, about 330 kilometers (205 miles) southeast of Manila, Mayon is one of the world's most active volcanoes.

Since 1616, the imposing stratovolcano has erupted 47 times, with many of the explosions causing deadly mudflows and ash falls.

In 2014, thousands of residents were ordered to evacuate the same area after a "critical" alert was issued, while in 2013, five climbers died when they were hit by falling rocks thrown up by a particularly violent blast.

The volcano's most devastating eruption took place in 1814 when at least 1,200 people were killed. </s> The volcano, located in the Albay province of central Philippines, first spewed ash on Saturday afternoon - followed by a further five-minute eruption on Sunday morning. And another eruption could be imminent according to the Philippines' chief volcanologist Renato Solidum. He warned on Monday of a possible hazardous eruption at Mount Mayon "within weeks or even within days", as magma continued to pile up at the summit of the Southeast Asian country's most active volcano. And he said raising the alert to level 4, under which the danger zone would be expanded, depended on how Mayon behaved in the next few hours.

The alert level was upgraded to level three - which means the volcano is in a critical stage - as the Mayon Volcano exhibited "high unrest" with high levels of magma is at the crater. Level 5 indicates an eruption is in progress. Mr Solidum, the chief of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) also described Mayon's current activity as a non-explosive magmatic eruption, but he would not rule out a more dangerous volcanic explosion in coming days. He said: ”What we would like to see is if there would be enough pressure, gas pressure for the next magma that would go up.”

More than 9,000 people have been evacuated from villages near Mayon, a tourist attraction because of its near-perfect cone shape, following a "steam-driven eruption" on Saturday. The 2,462-metre (8,077-foot) high volcano is spewing ash and burning mud and rocks over the past two days, forcing more than 3,000 residents to evacuate from nearby villages. According to Phivolcs, a "bright crater glow" at the summit crater indicates "the growth of a new lava dome and beginnings of lava flow towards the southern slopes”. Lava has flowed almost half a mile down a gully from the crater and on Monday morning, sending thousands of residents into evacuation shelters as authorities warned people off a four-mile radius around the volcano.

Claudio Yucot, head of the region's office of civil defence, said: "It is dangerous for families to stay in that radius and inhale ash. "Because of continuous rains in past weeks, debris deposited in the slopes of Mayon could lead to lahar flows. If rain does not stop it could be hazardous." A four-mile danger zone has been set up around the volcano to mitigate against "rockfalls, landslides and sudden explosions or dome collapse” as authorities ordered the evacuation of areas at the foot of the volcano. Phivolcs also advised pilots not to fly near the summit, since ash could be hazardous to aircraft.

Manila's airport authorities said airline Cebu Pacific had cancelled flights to nearby Legazpi City for a second day on Monday, citing bad weather. Earthquakes have also hit the region, with ten trmors striking the 7,000 islands on Sunday after Mount Mayon's second eruption. The volcano, which sits around 330 kilometres southwest of Manila, has erupted about 50 times in the last 500 years. Mayon's most destructive eruption was in February 1841, when lava buried a town and killed 1,200 people. </s> Mayon threat not yet over

LEGAZPI CITY – Some evacuees have started to return home, prompting volcanologists to warn them the threat of explosive eruption from Mayon volcano remains despite a decrease in activities in the past few days.



From a high of 40,000, the number of evacuees is down to 27,643 , most of them from 32 barangays in Albay, including Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan and Malilipot.

Mariton Bornas, of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), said there is still inflation on the edifice of Mayon which indicates high magma pressure building up inside the volcano.

She added the volcano still pushes out lava which has already reached three kilometers from the crater and also emitted some six million cubic meters of volcanic materials as of yesterday morning.

This means, Bornas said, a scenario of hazardous eruption is still highly possible.

“I would like to dispel any notion that since there were decreases in its activity, the explosive eruption is already unlikely. That is not true. We are still looking at several parameters,” said Bornas.

“We have to look at all the parameters on a daily, hourly basis for changes because anything could still happen anytime,” she added.

She noted how Mayon Volcano has only offloaded six million cubic meters of volcanic materials.

In comparison, she cited how, during the 2006 eruption, Mayon released some 60 million cubic meters of volcanic materials.

Bornas said Phivolcs personnel monitoring Mayon Volcano have been using various instruments to accurately observe and monitor its activities.

“We are proud to say that Mayon Volcano is one of the more well-observed volcanoes,” said Bornas.

Many of the evacuees have indicated their desire to return to their homes.

“We don’t want to stay for long because we do not want to bank on relief goods for our daily meal,” said Mary Ann Almayda, 22, who resides in Barangay Lidong in Sto. Domingo, Albay.
The alert level for the Mayon Volcano in the Philippines is increased after more than a hundred earthquakes were detected in its vicinity.