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Mayon activity puts Albay under state of imminent disaster


The raising of the alert level to 3 over Mayon Volcano has prompted Albay Governor Jose Salceda to declare a state of imminent disaster over the province. Radio dzBB reported early Wednesday that the declaration would allow the provincial government to access calamity funds to evacuate residents in the volcano’s danger zones. A report by dzBB’s Allan Gatus early Wednesday said the provincial government has set up evacuation centers to accommodate the displaced families. Disaster management officials had prepared to evacuate some 9,946 families or 47,000 people from Tabaco City and from the towns of Malipot, Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan and Ligao. As of Wednesday morning, authorities have so far evacuated some 4,898 families or 22,900 people, the report said, adding that evacuation of people living within the eight-kilometer radius from the volcano is still going on. On Tuesday, the United States government advised its citizens to stay away from Mayon Volcano in Albay province, after state volcanologists placed it under Alert Level 3. The US Embassy said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) had warned of increasing volcanic activity. It advised its nationals to monitor the Phivolcs and United States Geological Service websites at phivolcs.dost.gov.ph and volcanoes.usgs.gov. According to Phivolcs, “Alert level 3 condition signifies magma is near the top of the crater and incandescent materials are now detaching. Mayon volcano is now at a ‘high level of unrest’ and may have more dangerous explosions," it said. - LBG, GMANews.TV

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