Mayon Volcano had two episodes of sporadic lava fountaining within seven hours from Saturday evening to early yesterday morning, leading to lava flows up to three kilometers down its gullies.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Mayon had lava fountaining twice between 6:23 p.m. Saturday to 1:40 a.m. yesterday, lasting 23 and 55 minutes, respectively.
The events fed lava flows on the Miisi and Bonga Gullies, sprayed near-vent lava spatter, and produced rock fall.
Phivolcs observed that the heavy rainfall caused by the tail-end of cold front throughout Saturday generated sediment-laden stream flows that drained into the river channels.
Four volcanic earthquakes, seven tremor events, two of which correspond to the lava fountaining events, and 23 rock fall events were recorded by Mayon’s seismic monitoring network.
Rock fall events were generated by the collapsing lava front and margins of the advancing lava flow on the Bonga and Miisi Gullies.
Phivolcs said the Miisi and Bonga lava flows have remained three and 1.8 kilometers long, respectively, from the summit crater.
Phivolcs strongly advised the public to be vigilant and desist from entering the eight-kilometer-radius danger zone.
It also advised civil aviation authorities to warn pilots from flying close to the volcano’s summit as ash from any sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft.
Mayon remains under Alert Level 4 due to imminent hazardous eruption.
Meanwhile, no deaths have been reported in Albay from Mayon despite several hazardous eruptions and strong lahar flow over the weekend that destroyed two access roads in Daraga.
Dr. Cedric Daep, head of the Albay Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, attributed the zero casualty to the early response and past experiences from Mayon eruptions and strong typhoons.
“We are always in constant coordination with proper government agencies like PAGASA and Phivolcs for us to act appropriately,” said Daep.
Philvocs Director Renato Solidum said field personnel monitored lahar flow between 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. last Saturday between Miisi and Budiao Channels.
“The lahar flow was blocked by hardened lava so it was redirected on a small river channel between Budiao and Miisi,” said Solidum.
Residents said the lahar flow was so strong that it damaged an access road in the area. Another resident said the lahar flow also damaged another access road some 200 meters away.
President Duterte is scheduled to visit Albay to check on the plight of the families affected by the eruption of Mayon today. (Ellalyn V. Ruiz, Aaron B. Recuenco, and Genalyn D. Kabiling)
