Thousands flee 'imminent' Mayon volcano eruption
08/07 10:00:41 AM
LEGASPI (AFP) - Thousands of people were being moved out of their homes in the central Philippines on Monday in the face of the "imminent" eruption of the rumbling Mayon volcano, officials said.
Volcanologists previously said an explosive eruption by Mayon, one of the country's most active volcanoes, could threaten the lives of about 60,000 people.
"We have to finish this by 12:00 noon (0400 GMT) to avoid incidents. These are orders from the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Center," Legaspi city mayor Noel Rosal said as he supervised the evacuation of 10,500 residents from four villages on Mayon's lower slopes.
The region was rocked early Monday by five successive volcanic blasts within 40 minutes, followed by a fountain of lava from Mayon's crater, he said on local radio.
By mid-morning the peak was covered in a dark cloud of volcanic material rising several kilometers (miles) above the crater.
The government's seismology institute on Monday raised a five-step volcano alert over Mayon at the next-highest level of 4, meaning an eruption could occur within days.
It began abnormal activity in February, and started emitting small lava flows on July 15.
