Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Philippines orders evacuation as Mayon volcano threatens to erupt

Thousands of people living near the Philippines's most active volcano have begun leaving their homes as lava trickled down its slopes and authorities warned of a dangerous eruption.

Mayon, a volcano famed in equal parts for its near-perfect cone and brutal volatility, had begun to stir again with magma rising to the top and small earthquakes rattling deep inside, authorities said.

"A hazardous eruption is possible within weeks," the director of the state volcanology agency, Renato Solidum, told AFP.

Residents within an five-mile (8km) radius will be forcibly evacuated, said the regional civil defence director, Bernardo Alejandro.

He said authorities expect to evacuate almost all of the 50,000 people in the danger zone – a coconut farming area near the Pacific coast – within three days.

Thousands of people living near the Philippines's most active volcano have begun leaving their homes as lava trickled down its slopes and authorities warned of a dangerous eruption.

Mayon, a volcano famed in equal parts for its near-perfect cone and brutal volatility, had begun to stir again with magma rising to the top and small earthquakes rattling deep inside, authorities said.

"A hazardous eruption is possible within weeks," the director of the state volcanology agency, Renato Solidum, told AFP.

Residents within an five-mile (8km) radius will be forcibly evacuated, said the regional civil defence director, Bernardo Alejandro.

He said authorities expect to evacuate almost all of the 50,000 people in the danger zone – a coconut farming area near the Pacific coast – within three days.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/16/philippines-mayon-volcano-eruption-warning

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