Panic in the Philippines: thousands evacuated as volcano threatens to erupt
Steph Deschamps / June 9, 2023
On Friday, Philippine authorities began evacuating some 10,000 residents from the area around the country's most active volcano. For several days, the volcano has been spewing ash and threatening to erupt.
The Mayon volcano, located in the eastern province of Albay and known for its perfect cone shape, has been spewing ash and debris for several days, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
The volcano is at alert level 3, which means that "the degree of agitation is currently relatively high as there is magma in the crater and a dangerous eruption could occur in the coming weeks or even days", says the institute.
According to Albay provincial authorities, some 2,400 families, or 10,000 people, must leave the danger zone around the volcano. The governor of Albay, Edcel Greco Lagman, told an emergency meeting on Thursday that as many people as possible should be evacuated.