Red light spotted in Mayon volcano's crater, showing signals of explosion within days (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Thousands of Filipinos on January 15 fled from their homesas lava oozed out of Mayon volcano in the central Albay province, showingsignals of a hazardous explosion within days.
Morethan 12,000 people have been ordered to leave a seven-kilometre danger zonearound the crater, as officials warned them of potentially destructive mudflowsand toxic clouds. Because of continuous rains in past weeks, debris depositedon the slopes of Mayon could lead to volcanic mudflows.
Lavalast flowed out of Mayon in 2014 when 63,000 people fled from their homes. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) saidthe lava is more fluid than in 2014, meaning the flow can reach further down ata faster rate.
The first phase of the activity started with lava flowand culminated in an explosive or hazardous part, Phivolcssaid. The agency is trying to monitor the volcano’s activities to promptly issuewarnings for people.
The Mayon, 2,460 metres in height and 20 kilometres inwidth, is one of the Philippines’s active volcanoes famous for its beauty andnear-perfect symmetry.
It has erupted 51 times during the past 400 years. Themost destructive eruption was reported in 1814 which killed about 1,200 peopleand buried three towns under mud and rock.-VNA
