More than 22,000 residents living near Mayon Volcano have already fled to evacuation centers as authorities maintain a warning of a possible hazardous eruption after glowing red lava was seen rolling down its slopes, Monday night, January 15.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology upgraded the alert level at the area to “level 3” after observing steam eruptions.
PHILVOCS said lava had advanced up to 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) from the crater, and ash was falling nearby.
Albay Governor Al Francis Bichara asked the provincial board on Monday to declare a state of calamity due to the possible eruption of Mayon volcano.
A state of calamity would allow the government to fully mobilize all agencies and resources to respond to emergencies.
Wedding videographer Ronald Rebutica took a time-lapse video of the eruption as seen from Barangay Rawis in Legaspi City.
His video has already garnered hundreds of thousands shares and views on Facebook.
Mayon most destructive eruption was in February 1841, when lava flows buried a town and killed 1,200 people.
Photo credit: Department of Science and Technology employee Richard Esplana
Video credit: Ronald Rebutica
