Manila: Mount Mayon in the southern Luzon was predicted to spew out more than 60 million cubic metres of lava, following a ten-kilometre ash column up in the sky in a major eruption before the end of the year, experts told Gulf News.
The Philippines raised the alert level around the country's most active volcano yesterday, warning of a possible hazardous eruption within days and extending a "no-go zone" up to ten kilometres.
Mayon Volcano, known for its near-perfect cone shape in the coconut-growing central Bicol region, has been spewing ash and burning mud and rocks since last Monday, chief vulcanologist Renato Solidum said.
"We raised the alert level to 4 ... meaning an eruption is within days," Solidum said after aerial inspection and other observations of the volcano showed increased activity in the past 24 hours.
Level 4 indicates an eruption is imminent and the maximum alert level of 5 means an eruption is underway, he said.
"Mayon's major eruption will be stronger than its eruption in 2006," Solidum said.
It spewed out some 52 million cubic metres of lava in 2006, said Solidum, adding Mayon's impending eruption by end of December or early January is estimated to result in almost 60 million cubic metre of lava flow.
Volcanic debris could turn deadly and become an avalanche of landslides which killed 1,000 people during a typhoon after Mayon Volcano's eruption in 2006.
Mayon Volcano ejected 30 million cubic metres of volcanic debris in the 2001 eruption, said Solidum, adding that molten rocks as big as cars always accompanied Mayon's volcanic debris, some of which eventually fall and cause mudslides in lower areas.
Volcanologists are now watching for the length of Mayon's ash column, said Solidum, adding the longer it gets, the nearer is its eruption.
"At the same time, helicopters will start monitoring lava flows which have burned four kilometres from Mayon's furious top. We will check if they have filled up old gullies and creating new pathways, so we could determine other danger zones," said Solidum.
Mayon shook at least 450 times, more than 20 of which had minor explosions that sent greyish ash columns as high as two kilometres above the crater, said Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology in an update of the volcano's restless activities yesterday.
Sulphur dioxide emission had also increased from 1,065 to 2,034 tons in the past 24 hours, said Phivolcs.
Albay Governor Joey Salceda said more than 40,000 people were evacuated when alert level three was raised last week.
He called for a helicopter to continuously monitor the presence of people in the permanent danger zone around the volcano.
Meanwhile, the department of social welfare and development (DSWD), has been sending relief goods and masks at the evacuation centres, said Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral.
"The displaced residents need masks because ash falls could affect their respiratory system," Cabral said.
With additional inputs from Reuters
