Mayon alert level raised to 4; eruption seen within days

State volcanologists on Sunday afternoon raised the alert status of Mayon Volcano in Albay province, Bicol to 4 after noting rumbling sounds in Sto. Domingo town, saying a major eruption is possible within days. "This is to notify the public that the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) is now raising the alert status of Mayon Volcano from alert level 3 to alert level 4. This means that a hazardous explosive eruption is possible within days," the agency said on its Web site at 2:30 p.m. To ensure public safety, Phivolcs said it was recommending an extended danger zone from the summit of 8 kilometers at the southern sector and 7 kilometers at the northern sector. "Areas just outside of this extended danger zone should prepare for evacuation in the event explosive eruptions intensify," it added. Radio dzBB's Allan Gatus earlier reported that Phivolcs Bicol-based monitoring head Julio Sabit had cited rumbling sounds heard in Santa Misericordia village in Santo Domingo town. Sabit also said Phivolcs had monitored at least 463 quakes from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. He said the danger zone, which stands at a maximum of 8 km, might be expanded to 10 km. Alert Level 4 means a "hazardous eruption" is imminent. Phivolcs characterizes this as intense unrest. “Pag 4 na, ang pinag-uusapan natin . . . araw pwede magkaroon ng hazardous eruption (At Alert Level 4, we are talking of a hazardous eruption in a matter of days)," said Phivolcs resident volcanologist Ed Laguerta at a press conference in Albay

See the complete table on the Phivolcs website.

Phivolcs said characteristics of Alert Level 4 include persistent tremors and many low frequency earthquakes, and a sustained increase or abrupt decrease in sulfur dioxide emission levels. Other signs include intense crater glow, and incandescent lava fragments in the summit area. Alert Level 4 also means hazardous eruption is possible within days. Phivolcs' last bulletin on Mayon indicated 222 volcanic quakes and tremors recorded by the seismic network in the last 24 hours as of 7 a.m. on Sunday. The advancing lava flow has now reached about 4.5 kilometers down the slope from the crater along Bonga-Buyuan Gully, it added. Also, sulfur dioxide emissions increased to 7,024 from 2,034 tons per day. As of Saturday, about 8,442 families or 40,093 persons have been evacuated since Monday last week from Camalig, Malilipot, Sto. Domingo, Ligao and Guinobatan towns and from the cities of Legazpi and Tabaco. Past eruptions Phivolcs’ website on Mayon eruptions said the volcano has had at least 40 eruptions since February 1616. The most destructive eruption occurred on Feb. 1, 1814, when pyroclastic flows, volcanic lightning and lahar affected Camalig, Cagsawa, Budiao, Guinobatan and half of Albay. At least 1,200 persons died. The second most destructive eruption was from June 4 to July 23, 1897 as pyroclastic and lava flows, lahar and volcanic lightning killed 350 persons. On July 20-24, 1766, pyroclastic and lava flows destroyed Malinao and damaged Cagsawa, Guinobatan, Budiao, Polangui and Ligao. There were 39 casualties. On July 7, 1853, 34 died as ash, pyroclastic flow and lahar affected Camalig, Guinobatan, Ligao, Oas, Polangui, Malilipot, Bacacay and Cagsawa. Meanwhile, from Feb. 2 to April 4, 1993, pyroclastic and lava flows killed 77 and injured five. Mayon erupted again from July to October 2006. In August 2006, the government ordered the evacuation of people living near the volcano. On Oct. 3, 2006, Phivolcs downgraded the threat level to alert level 2. Twenty-two days later, it downgraded the status to alert level 1. But on Nov. 30 of that year, typhoon Durian caused mudslides of volcanic ash and boulders from the slopes of Mayon Volcano, burying at least a thousand. — LBG/NPA, GMANews.TV