Authorities in the Philippines have since banned travel within about a 3.7-mile radius of the Mayon volcano
NEED TO KNOW
- More than 5,400 people were evacuated after Mayon volcano’s lava deposits collapsed, triggering a massive ash plume
- The ashfall affected over more than 91,000 people, damaged farms and killed livestock in the Albay region
- Authorities provided masks and food packs and banned travel within 3.7 miles of the volcano for safety
More than 5,400 people in the Philippines were forced to evacuate — and 200,000 were impacted by emergency alerts — after massive plumes of ash escaped Mayon volcano following a collapse of lava deposits.
Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, told the Associated Press that there was no explosive eruption from Mayon on Saturday, May 2. Instead, the sudden collapse of the lava deposits triggered a pyroclastic flow.
The avalanche of hot rocks, ash and gas produced a plume of thick gray ash that reached 9,842 feet into the air, according to AccuWeather, creating poor visibility for 124 villages in the northeastern region of the Philippines.
Fortunately, no deaths or injuries were reported, according to the AP.
Ann Gemma Ongjoco, the mayor of the Albay city of Guinobatan, said that ashfall from the volcano affected 26,654 families, or more than 91,000 individuals, Viral Press reported.
Footage of the ash plume captured by a bystander and obtained by Viral Press shows a gigantic wall of thick ash engulfing the "perfect cone" volcano in Camalig, located in the Philippines' Albay region.
According to Raymond, he was jogging with friends at the time.
"Guys, I think it's already starting to rain ash," the man, identified as Raymond, could be heard telling his friends in the harrowing clip. "Earlier it was small, but now look at that — it's huge. Oh my God, it's massive! It's getting closer to us!"
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During a press conference, Social Welfare Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said that locals were provided with protective face masks and food packs. Officials have also been working to properly ventilate the emergency shelters, she added, as temperatures in the region are expected to reach more than 90 degrees by next week.
Authorities have since banned travel within about a 3.7-mile radius of the volcano and fire trucks have been working throughout the province to clear ash from major roads.
"Our teams are already on the ground, actively providing assistance and emergency services to affected communities, while closely coordinating with concerned government agencies and local disaster risk reduction and management councils," said Bureau of Fire Protection Region 5 Director Senior Superintendent Achilles Santiago, according to Viral Press.
Mayon — one of the country's top tourism destinations due to its cone shape — has been erupting mildly on and off since January, the AP reported, causing some rockfalls as large as cars from its peak crater. That month, local authorities raised the alert in the surrounding areas to Level 3 out of five.
A Level 5 alert signifies a life-threatening eruption with deadly volcanic lava and pyroclastic flows and heavy ashfall, according to the AP.
"It's calm again now but the danger is always there," Bacolcol added of Mayon's condition.
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