Hundreds evacuated in Albay as Alert Level 2 raised over Mt. Mayon

Hundreds of people living around Mount Mayon have been evacuated as of early Sunday as Alert Level 2 was declared over the volcano due to the possibility of a magmatic eruption.

Chief Inspector Arthur Gomez, spokesperson of the Albay Provincial Police Office, more than 2,000 people have been evacuated to at least three elementary schools as of 4 a.m.

Gomez said a total of 475 families of 1,576 people are now staying at the Guinobatan Elementary Central School in Guinabatan town.

A total of 84 families or 297 people have been evacuated to the Cabangan Elementary School and 91 more families or a total of 362 people have been brought to the Anoling Elementary School in Camalig town.

The provincial government ordered the preemptive evacuation of residents living near Mount Mayon following the volcano's phreatic explosion on Saturday afternoon.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) elevated the alert level imposed on the volcano to 2, which means there is a possibility of "hazardous magmatic eruptions."

PHIVOLCS said the phreatic explosion on Saturday started at 4:21 p.m. and lasted for an hour and 47 minutes.

It said Mayon's "current unrest is probably of magmatic origin, which could lead to more phreatic eruptions or eventually to hazardous magmatic eruptions."

Albay Governor Al Francis Bichara has ordered local authorities to strictly prevent residents from entering the six-kilometer radius permanent danger zone.

PHIVOLC said that after the eruption, residents reported smelling sulfuric odor and heard rumbling sounds from the volcano.

Rockfall events have been recorded by PHIVOLCS. —ALG, GMA News