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> (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> MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippines' most active volcano rumbled back to life Sunday with lava rising to its crater in a gentle eruption that has prompted authorities to evacuate thousands of villagers.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned a "hazardous eruption" of Mount Mayon, located in Albay province in the northeastern Philippines, is possible within weeks or even days.

Renato Solidum, who heads the volcanology institute, said three steam-explosions at the volcano since Saturday have spewed ash into nearby villages and may have breached solidified lava at the crater and caused lava to start to flow out of the 2,460-meter (8,070-foot) volcano.

"Lava has flowed out of the volcano's crater already but it's just starting. It's a non-explosive eruption," Solidum told The Associated Press. "We have to verify tomorrow if it will flow continuously."

Disaster-response officials said nearly 1,000 families have been moved to emergency shelters, including some from a permanent danger zone around Mayon, since the volcano started spewing steam and ash on Saturday.

A popular tourist attraction because of its near-perfect cone, Mayon lies in coconut-producing Albay province, about 340 kilometres (210 miles) southeast of Manila.

The volcano has erupted about 50 times in the last 500 years, sometimes violently, endangering thousands of poor villagers who insist on living or farming in the danger zone.

Villagers living near the volcano, which last erupted four years ago, have erected huge white crosses at the entrance of their neighbourhoods, hoping they will protect them from harm.

On May 7, 2013, the volcano suddenly spewed ash, killing five climbers, including three Germans, who had ventured near the summit despite warnings of possible danger. </s> Mayon volcano spews ash as it erupts anew Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018 as seen from Legazpi city, Albay province, southeast of Manila, Philippines. (Associated Press)

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 troops and police were helping move more villagers from their homes, officials said.

Authorities struggled to prevent villagers from sneaking back to check on their homes and farms and to watch a popular cockfight in Albay's Santo Domingo town despite the risks and police patrols and checkpoints, said Cedric Daep, a provincial disaster response official.

In a sign of desperation, Daep told a news conference that he has recommended electricity and water supplies be cut in communities within the no-go zones to discourage residents from returning.

"If pyroclastic flows hit people, there is no chance for life," Daep said. "Let us not violate the natural law, avoid the prohibited zone, because if you violate, the punishment is the death penalty."

The daytime eruptions have plunged nearby villages into darkness and sent lava, rocks and debris cascading down Mayon's slopes toward the no-entry danger zone. There have been no reports of deaths or injuries. Airplanes have been ordered to stay away from the crater and ash-laden winds, and several domestic flights have been canceled.

Volcanic ash fell Monday in more than a dozen towns in coconut-growing Albay and nearby Camarines Sur province, with visibility heavily obscured in a few towns because of the thick gray ash, Jukes Nunez, another Albay provincial disaster response officer, said by telephone.

"It was like night time at noon, there was zero visibility in some areas because the ash fall was so thick," Nunez said.

More than 30,000 ash masks and about 5,000 sacks of rice, along with medicine, water and other supplies, were being sent to evacuation centers, Office of Civil Defense regional director Claudio Yucot said late Monday.

Food packs, water, medicine and other relief goods remain adequate but may run out by mid-February if the eruption continues and new supplies fail to come on time, officials said.

With its near-perfect cone, Mayon has long been popular with climbers and tourists but has erupted about 50 times in the last 500 years, sometimes violently. The 8,070-foot (2,460-meter) volcano has generated tourism revenues and jobs in Albay, about 340 kilometers (210 miles) southeast of Manila.

In 2013, an ash eruption killed five climbers who had ventured near the summit despite warnings. Its most destructive eruption, in 1814, killed more than 1,200 people and buried the town of Cagsawa in volcanic mud. The belfry of Cagsawa's stone church still juts from the ground in an eerie reminder of Mayon's fury.

Since childhood, Velardo, the farmer, said he has gambled his and his family's lives in Mayon's shadow but that he and thousands of other landless farmers have no place else to go. "I tell my grandchildren to study hard so they can live elsewhere without a volcano to keep an eye on all your life."

The Philippines, which has about 22 active volcanoes, lies in the "Ring of Fire," a line of seismic faults surrounding the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common.

In 1991, Mount Pinatubo in the northern Philippines exploded in one of the biggest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century, killing about 800 people, covering entire towns and cities in ash and partly prompting the U.S. government to abandon its vast air and naval bases on the main northern Luzon island. </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> Mayon volcano spews ash as it erupts anew Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018 as seen from Legazpi city, Albay province, southeast of Manila, Philippines. (Associated Press)

MANILA: The Philippines' most active volcano spewed fountains of lava and massive ash plumes overnight and Tuesday morning after authorities warned a violent eruption may be imminent.

Lava fountains reached up to 700 meters (2,300 feet) above Mount Mayon's crater and ash plumes rose up to 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) during the night and before daybreak, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. An explosive eruption Monday was the most powerful since the volcano started acting up more than a week ago.

Disaster officials in Albay province, where Mayon lies, say more than 30,000 people are staying in evacuation centers.

Officials raised Mayon's alert level to four on a scale of five, meaning a violent eruption is possible within hours or days. The danger zone expanded to 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the crater, affecting thousands more residents.

The eruptions have shrouded nearby villages in darkness and sent lava, rocks and debris cascading down Mayon's slopes toward the no-entry danger zone.

There have no reports of deaths and injuries. Airplanes have been ordered to stay away from the crater and ash-laden winds and several flights have been canceled.

Volcanic ash fell in about a dozen towns in coconut-growing Albay province and nearby Camarines Sur province, with visibility being heavily obscured in a few towns because of the thick gray ash fall, Jukes Nunez, an Albay provincial disaster response officer, said by telephone.

"It was like night time at noon, there was zero visibility in some areas because the ash fall was so thick," Nunez said.

More than 30,000 ash masks and about 5,000 sacks of rice, along with medicine, water and other supplies, were being sent to evacuation centers, Office of Civil Defense regional director Claudio Yucot said.

Mayon lies about 340 kilometers (210 miles) southeast of Manila. With its near-perfect cone, it is popular with climbers and tourists but has erupted about 50 times in the last 500 years, sometimes violently.

In 2013, an ash eruption killed five climbers who had ventured near the summit despite warnings. Its most destructive eruption, in 1814, killed more than 1,200 people and buried the town of Cagsawa in volcanic mud. The belfry of Cagsawa's stone church still juts from the ground in an eerie reminder of Mayon's fury.

The Philippines lies in the "Ring of Fire," a line of seismic faults surrounding the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common.

In 1991, Mount Pinatubo in the northern Philippines exploded in one of the biggest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century, killing about 800 people. </s> A volcano in the Philippines is showing signs of life and residents are getting worried an eruption may happen at any time. Between 9,000 and 12,000 inhabitants are fleeing the area as the Mayon volcano continues to throw clouds of ash into the air.

The volcano, sitting on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, recently started spewing steam, ash, and bright red lava. As a precaution, the volcanic action forced authorities to issue a level 3 eruption warning.

On Sunday, scientists with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) sent out a warning to indicate the volcano’s potential for eruption. After observing three small explosions triggered by steam and numerous rockslides, scientists fear a “hazardous eruption is possible within weeks or even days.” In a statement, PHIVOLCS said a giant dome is growing on the mountainside, signifying lava is on the move.

“Lava has flowed out of the volcano’s crater already, but it’s just starting. It’s a non-explosive eruption,” said PHIVOLCS scientist Renato Solidum, per a report from Fox News. “We have to verify tomorrow if it will flow continuously.”

Should the volcano blow, experts predict superheated gas and other debris capable of vaporizing everything will rapidly move down the mountainside, essentially destroying anything in its path. Massive amounts of ash will likely inundate adjacent towns and villages.

Local authorities told residents the time to leave is now. According to a CNN report, 900 families from multiple neighborhoods near the volcano in the Philippines were ordered to move to shelters in nearby towns. The government is also advising aircraft to avoid the area as ash can severely damage engines while in flight.

About 200 miles southeast of Manila, Mayon is considered one of the most active volcanoes on the planet. In the last 400 years, the volcano in the Philippines has erupted 47 times. An explosion in 1814 killed nearly 1,200 people.

More recently, the Philippine volcano erupted in 2014, forcing the evacuation of 63,000 residents. Another, more powerful eruption occurred a year earlier, killing four tourists and a tour guide.

Scientists with PHIVOLCS are continuing to monitor the volcano and looking at computer models to get a better idea when Mayon will eventually erupt. In the meantime, Philippine authorities are not taking any chances as the volcano is known for its unpredictable, destructive, and tragic history. </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> 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.
The Mayon volcano begins to erupt in the Philippines.