The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has raised the danger alert level in the vicinity of Mayon Volcano to warn villagers of possible eruption in the coming days.
Mayon Volcano, known the world over for its near perfect cone, is showing signs of eruption as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded frequent mild earthquakes signifying movement of magma beneath the volcano.
The unusual volcanic activity led Phivolcs to raise the degree of alert from level one to level two.
“This alert condition signifies a state of unrest which could lead to ash explosions or eventually hazardous magmatic eruption,” Phivolcs director Renato Solidum said.
Philstar.com reports:
The low-frequency volcanic earthquakes and ground uplift could indicate that fresh volcanic materials are moving upward at depth, causing the formation of the cone-shaped pile of materials at the crater, according to Phivocs.
Phivolcs said six volcanic quakes were recorded in the past 24 hours
]It said people are barred from entering the six-kilometer radius permanent danger zone around the volcano and the seven-kilometer extended danger zone on the southeast flank due to the threat of sudden explosions and rockfalls from the upper slopes.
The volcano has a record of 47 eruptions in its history with its first recorded in 1916. Its most destructive was in 1814 which buried the whole town of Cagsawa in the vicinity of the volcano. In 2006, more than 1,000 people perished as mudflows hit the villages surrounding the volcano.
Mount Mayon is an active volcano located in the province of Albay, Bicol region in the Philippines. It is popularly known in the world as the volcano with the nearly perfect cone. The volcano has an elevation of 8,081 feet.
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