45 Albay schools designated as evacuation centers

At least 45 schools in Albay province have been designated as evacuation centers for families living in the danger zone around restive Mayon Volcano. The National Disaster Coordinating Council's 5 p.m. Thursday report said the danger zone covers up to eight kilometers around the volcano. It said that of the 45, 21 are in Albay, 11 in Legazpi City, six in Ligao City, and seven in Tabaco City. As of noon Thursday, the NDCC said at least 6,559 families or 30,761 people had been evacuated to 17 evacuation centers in Camalig, Daraga, Malilipot, and Sto. Domingo towns; and Legazpi, Tabaco and Ligao Cities. The NDCC said provincial officials are targeting for evacuation 9,946 families or 47,285 people from Tabaco and Ligao Cities, and Malilipot, Camalig and Guinobatan towns. The NDCC said at least eight ash explosions were recorded in the last 24 hours, with ash columns reaching up to 500 meters high and drifting towards the southwest. It said the advancing lava flow has reached 1.5 km downslope from the crater, while incandescent fragments from the lava pile continuously roll down along Bonga Gully reaching 3-4 km downslope. Detached materials from the lava dome at the crater generated a small pyroclastics flow along Bandero Channel at the southeast slope. Seismic monitoring recorded 82 volcanic quakes and tremors, indicating magma ascent towards the crater. - KBK, GMANews.TV