Mayon Volcano lava flow seen —PHIVOLCS

The Mayon Volcano in Albay continued to have lava effusion with lava flow as Alert Level 3 remains, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said Saturday.

The lava flowed down the Basud (3.8 km), Bonga (3.2 km) and Mi-isi (1.3 km) gullies on Friday, PHIVOLCS said in its bulletin.

Meanwhile, episodic minor strombolian activity and short-lived lava fountaining were also observed from 12 a.m. Friday to 12 a.m. Saturday.

PHIVOLCS also recorded 52 volcanic earthquakes including one volcanic tremor lasting five minutes long.

It also monitored 356 rockfall events and one pyroclastic density current (PDC) signal on Friday.

A crater glow could be seen with the naked eye, PHIVOLCS said.

The volcano also emitted 1,662 tonnes of sulfur dioxide on Friday.

Moderate plumes rose up to 400 meters above the crater, then drifted east and east-southeast, PHIVOLCS added.

At Alert Level 3 (Intensified Unrest/Magmatic Unrest), Mayon Volcano poses possible hazards such as:

• rockfalls or landslides or avalanches;
• ballistic fragments;
• lava flows and lava fountaining;
• pyroclastic density currents;
• moderate-sized explosions; and
• lahars during heavy and prolonged rainfall.

PHIVOLCS said entry into the six-kilometer radius permanent danger zone and flying aircraft close to Mayon Volcano should be prohibited.

On Thursday night, a bushfire broke out at the southern lower slopes of Mayon Volcano after a rockfall incident, it said. The fire died down on Friday morning. —KG, GMA News