More than 5,000 families or 20k people evacuate homes in Albay due to Mayon unrest

Thousands of families from six cities and municipalities in Albay have evacuated their homes following the phreatic eruptions of Mayon Volcano.

As of early Tuesday, 5,318 families or 21,823 persons from 25 barangays in Camalig, Guinobatan, Ligao City, Daraga, Tabaco City, and Malilipot are currently staying in designated evacuation centers, according to a report by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Center (NDRRMC) issued Tuesday.

Classes have also been suspended in four municipalities, namely Guinobatan, Camalig, Tabaco City, and Sto. Domingo.

Alert Level 3 remains in effect, meaning that the volcano is currently in a relatively high level of unrest as magma is at the crater and hazardous eruption is possible within weeks or even days.

Mt. Mayon first generated a steam driven explosion at 5:06 p.m. last Saturday, followed by three phreatic eruptions later on.

According to NDRRMC, a total of nine episodes of tremor, four of which accompanied short duration lava fountaining, and 75 lava events were recorded by Mayon's seismic network.

Despite the lava that continues to flow from the crater, some residents still return to the six-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ).

Local government officials are pleading to residents who have yet to leave the PDZ to vacate their homes because of a possible hazardous eruption. —Jessica Bartolome/KG, GMA News