Dozens of families evacuated following Mount Mayon's phreatic eruption

Albay Governor Al Francis Bichara on Saturday ordered the evacuation of several families in more than a dozen barangays after Mount Mayon spewed thick ash following a phreatic eruption.

Bichara has also ordered the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) to strictly prevent residents from entering the six-kilometer danger zone.

Albay PDRRMO head Cedric Daep said a total of 16 villages were affected by the ashfall in the cities of Tabaco and Ligao and the towns of Camalig, Guinabatan, Malilipot and Daraga.

The affected barangays include Miisi and Bañadero and Matnog in Daraga; Anoling, Quirangay, Tumpa, Sua and Tinubran in Camalig; Amtic and Baligang in Ligao City; Buang and Magapo in Tabao City; Canaway and Calbayog in Malilipot and Tandarora and Maninila in Guinobatan.

As of 9 p.m., a total of 13 families or 92 people from Barangay Anoling have been evacuated to the Camalig North Central School.

A total of 50 families or a total of 225 persons, meanwhile, were evacuated to the Cabangan Elementary School in Legazpi City.

Evacuations to East Central School and Lower Binogsacan High School in Guinobatan town are ongoing as of this posting.

Lucy Castañeda, spokeperson of the Department of Public Works and Highways' regional office in Bicol, said they have activated district disaster teams equipped with vehicles following the eruption.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said the volcano's phreatic eruption happened at 5:06 p.m.

PHIVOLCS said Mount Mayon spewed a 2,500-meter grayish ash column, which fell on the southwestern sector of the volcano.

Mount Mayon remained under Alert Level 1. —ALG, GMA News