279 volcanic earthquakes rock Mayon on Saturday, Alert Level 3 still up, says Phivolcs

A total of 279 volcanic earthquakes was observed in a 24-hour period at the Mayon Volcano in Albay, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said on Sunday morning.

State seismologists said aside from the earthquakes that were recorded on Saturday, 324 rockfalls and three pyroclastic density current signals also occurred at the same time.

Phivolcs said there were also lava effusions with lava flow on three gullies with episodic minor strombolian activity: Basud that was 3.8 kilometers, Bonga (3.2 km) and Mi-isi (1.3 km). 

A total of 2,430 tonnes of sulfur dioxide flux was also observed.

Crater glow on Saturday was “fair” while the plume was “obscured”.

Entry into the six-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone is still prohibited and aircraft are advised not to fly close to the volcano.

Phivolcs said possible hazards are rockfalls or landslides or avalanches, ballistic fragments, lava flows and lava fountaining, pyroclastic density currents, moderate-sized explosions, amd lahars during heavy and prolonged rainfall. —RF, GMA Integrated News