Philippines evacuates thousands after Mayon Volcano stirs again
Authorities raise alert level after rockfalls and lava movement.
Philippine authorities have evacuated nearly 3,000 residents from communities near Mayon Volcano after renewed volcanic activity prompted officials to raise the alert level, signalling a heightened risk of further eruptions.
The alert was lifted to Level 3 on a five-step scale after monitoring teams detected repeated rockfalls from the crater and slow lava accumulation near the summit. Some falling debris was reported to be as large as vehicles.
Emergency crews, backed by police and military units, moved more than 2,800 people from homes within a long-established six-kilometre danger zone around the volcano. Hundreds more residents living just outside the restricted area left voluntarily.
Volcanologists described the current activity as a "quiet eruption," cautioning that it remains unclear whether conditions will escalate into a more violent phase. Key warning signs such as intense volcanic earthquakes and high gas emissions have not yet reached critical levels.
Mayon, famed for its near-perfect cone, is also the country's most active volcano and has erupted dozens of times over the centuries. Despite repeated disasters, thousands continue to live and work on its slopes, a reflection of the broader challenges faced by communities across the Philippines, a nation frequently exposed to volcanoes, earthquakes, typhoons and floods.