Manila, June 9 (EFE).- Around 10,000 residents who live less than six kilometers from the Mayon volcano in the province of Albay, in the northeast of the Philippines, have abandoned their homes due to the growing risk of an eruption.
As reported to EFE this Friday by local authorities, approximately half of the 20,000 people whose homes are within a radius of less than six kilometers from the volcano – the distance that the authorities have marked as unsafe – have decided to leave their homes.
Some residents are wary of leaving their homes in this city in the face of possible theft of personal belongings and livestock.
The seismic activity of the volcano increases
In its daily update, the Philippine seismological agency (Phivolcs) warned of the continued fall of volcanic rocks and an increase in seismic activity, as well as the emission of sulfur dioxide.
Phivolcs, who this Thursday raised the alert from 2 to 3 (of 5), has not yet forced evacuations around Mayón, but recommends them given the high risk of volcanic eruption.
During the past night, small streams of lava descended from the emblematic volcano, whose almost perfect conical shape is one of the main attractions of the province of Albay (island of Luzon), and its capital Legazpi (about 200,000 residents) is only 11 .2 kilometers from Mayón.
Respiratory problems
To the west of the same island of Luzon, the Taal volcano continues to emit toxic gases, which has caused an increase in the number of people with respiratory problems in the surrounding villages.
The increase in seismic activity – which has continued in the last 24 hours according to Phivolcs – keeps the authorities on alert due to its proximity to Manila (about 80 kilometers).
For its part, the Philippine airport authorities on Monday prohibited planes from flying over the vicinity of Mayón and Taal within a radius of 3,048 kilometers.
The last eruptions of Taal and Mayón, in 2020 and 2018, respectively, forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people and kept the residents of Manila and Legazpi on alert for several days.
