On May 3, thousands of Filipinos had to evacuate from the area near Mayon volcano after it erupted, seriously affecting life and traffic in Albay province.
According to the Philippine Ministry of Social Welfare and Development, nearly 1,500 families are temporarily staying in evacuation centers. Dense volcanic ash has covered many towns since May 2, disrupting travel in the area.
Authorities have advised people not to approach dangerous areas within a radius of 6km around the crater. The Philippine Institute of Volcanoes and Seismology raised the alert level to level 3 out of a 5-level scale, saying it has recorded short-term lava eruptions and warned of landslide risks.
In the monitoring report, the agency said that eruption activity is currently at a weak level, with hot gas and ash flows maintained in the identified dangerous area. Data recorded 32 volcanic earthquakes, including 25 eruptions lasting from 2 to 15 minutes, along with 284 rockfalls and 14 hot gas-ash signals.
The glowing phenomenon at the crater can be observed with the naked eye, while signs of terrain deformation indicate that the northeastern slope of the volcano is slightly bulging.
Mayon volcano is considered one of the most active volcanoes in Southeast Asia, famous for its almost perfect cone shape and attracting many tourists.
