Philippines gives clearance for Mayon evacuees to return home

Manila: Philippine volcanologists on Saturday lowered the alert level around the Mayon volcano, allowing thousands of evacuees to return home.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Saturday lowered an alert on Mayon volcano from, saying there was less likelihood of a dangerous eruption.

However, the institute warned that the "overall state of unrest remains relatively high," and said that people should still remain outside a six-kilometre "permanent danger zone" around the volcano.

Cedric Daep, head of the disaster management office of Albay province where the volcano is located, says most of the 47,000 evacuees have been told it was safe to return home.

The volcano began rumbling and spewing lava and smoke before Christmas and experts feared of a major eruption.

Mayon has erupted 48 times in recorded history. In 1814, more than 1,200 people were killed when lava flows buried the town of Cagsawa.