Mayon volcano danger map: Threat level rises amid 'imminent' devastation (Source: express.co.uk) Hanoi(VNA) - Philippine authorities have raised the alert level for the Mayonvolcano from level three to level four, meaning that a "hazardous eruptionis imminent."
In a statement onJanuary 22, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs)warned that Mayon volcano in Albay province has been exhibiting increasedseismic unrest, lava fountaining and summit explosions. Therefore, the instituteextended the danger zone to 8 km radius from the summit vent, while urgingpilots not to fly near the volcano's summit.
Phivolcs upgradedthe volcano to alert level four just a few minutes after the erupted lava atabout noon on January 22.
Several hours beforeplacing the volcano under alert level four, the Phivolcs indicated that500-metre and 200-metre high lava fountains were generated at 10:45 pm (localtime) on January 21 and 2:25 am local time on January 22 respectively.
According to AlbayGovernor Al Francis Bichara, all schools will be suspended in the province onJanuary 23.
The 2,462m MountainMayon, one of the Philippines’ most active volcanos, is in Albay province onthe Philippine main Luzon Island more than 300 km southeast of the country’s capitalManila.
In an 1814 eruption,more than 1,200 people were killed and three towns were buried under mud androck. It has erupted 51 times in the last 400 years.-VNA
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