Philippines’ Mayon volcano logs 102 quakes, 263 rockfalls in 24 hours

Manila, June 26 (EFE).- Philippines’ seismology agency (Phivolcs) said Monday that the country’s most active volcano registered a total of 102 earthquakes and 263 rockfall events in the last 24 hours, indicating that its volcanic activity has not subsided.

Mayon volcano’s daily sulfur dioxide emissions also averaged 925 tonnes on Sunday, according to Phivolcs.

“Alert Level 3 (out of total of five) is maintained over Mayon Volcano, which means that it is currently in a relatively high level of unrest as magma is at the crater and hazardous eruption within weeks or even days is possible,” the seismology agency warned in its daily report.

The authorities have established an evacuation area of six kilometers around the volcano, which has led to the displacement of more than 18,000 people to 28 evacuation centers.

An increase in the alert level from 3 to 4 would force thousands more to leave their homes.

Phivolcs also reported that heavy rainfall in the area this week would “generate channel-confined lahars and sediment-laden streamflows in channels where PDC (pyroclastic density currents) deposits were emplaced.”

In the last 24 hours, a very slow effusion of lava from the summit crater was also observed, which already extends up to about 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) from the crater.

Mayon is one of the main attractions of Albay due to its almost perfectly conical shape.

The last major eruption of the volcano occurred in 2018 when more than 75,000 people had to be evacuated.

Mayon’s most lethal eruption took place in 1841 when around 1,200 people died after they were buried by rivers of lava and falling volcanic rocks. EFE

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