The Philippines' Mount Mayon, one of the country's most active volcanoes, underwent a moderately explosive eruption on Friday (30 October) morning. The eruption lasted nearly six minutes, sending a dark grey ash plume 3,000 metres into the sky.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology immediately raised the alert level from two to three on a five-level scale. This signals that Mount Mayon is entering a new phase of magmatic eruption, with a significantly increased likelihood of lava flows and extremely dangerous pyroclastic density currents affecting its middle and upper slopes over the coming days to weeks.
The institute urged local authorities to carry out an emergency evacuation of residents within the six-kilometre permanent danger zone around the crater. It also called on civil aviation authorities to warn pilots against flying close to the crater.
Mount Mayon is in the central Philippines, in the south-eastern part of Luzon island. It stands about 2,460 metres above sea level and is about 330 kilometres from Manila. The Philippines lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences frequent volcanic and seismic activity.
