More than 300 families were evacuated after large volumes of ash spewed from Mayon Volcano over the weekend, triggered by the collapse of accumulated lava deposits along its slopes.
There was no explosive eruption from the volcano, which has been showing intermittent mild activity since January. However, significant lava build-up on its southwestern flank suddenly gave way on Saturday evening, sending a pyroclastic flow—an avalanche of superheated rocks, ash, and gas—rushing down, according to Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
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Authorities reported no casualties, but thick ash clouds spread across 87 villages in three towns, catching residents off guard and severely reducing visibility on roads, which disrupted traffic. “The ashfall was just so thick and there was zero visibility even on our national road,” said Caloy Baldo, mayor of Camalig, a town located near the volcano’s base. “Some villagers panicked, but we advised them to remain calm,” Baldo said.
The ashfall also caused damage to vegetable farms and killed four water buffaloes and one cow in Camalig. Clean-up operations are currently underway in the town, which has a population of around 8,000 people in Albay province.
“It's calm again now, but the danger is always there,” Bacolcol said on Monday, referring to the volcano’s current condition. Standing at 2,462 meters (8,077 feet), Mayon is one of the Philippines’ most popular tourist attractions due to its near-perfect cone shape. At the same time, it is also the most active among the country’s 24 volcanoes.
In January, authorities raised the alert level around Mayon to Level 3 on a five-step scale after a series of mild eruptions, which included intermittent rockfalls—some as large as cars—from its crater, along with dangerous pyroclastic flows. The highest alert level, Level 5, indicates that a hazardous and explosive eruption is in progress, posing serious threats from lava flows, pyroclastic surges and heavy ashfall.
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