Manila (EFE) rocks and lava, official sources indicated this Sunday.
According to the report issued today by the government natural disaster management agency, 12,804 people from 3,538 families have been displaced to 22 centers because they are less than six kilometers from the volcano, in the province of Albay, east of the island of Luzon.
With the state of calamity declared in the province on Friday, the authorities have released relief funds to assist these families, who may be forced to stay in the centers for several days or weeks, depending on the risk of eruption.
The Philippine seismological agency (Phivolcs) indicated in its report this Sunday that 177 episodes of rock falls and a volcanic earthquake were recorded on Saturday, which is why it maintains its level 3 alert regarding the risk of eruption “in the coming days or weeks”.
Rocks and lava have fallen to a distance of 700 meters from the crater, which continues to spew ash and gas in the form of volcanic plumes (pillars of gas and steam) visible in recent days.
The activity of the magma present in the crater and the rise in pressure have caused the appearance at the top of a new lava dome, a circular mound that has displaced the previous one, according to the photos published by Phivolcs.
Increased sulfur dioxide emissions
The increase in sulfur dioxide emissions today led the Ministry of Health to warn the population of the health risks of inhaling this gas or breathing air contaminated with ash, for which it asked them to stay as far away as possible, reported the Inquirer newspaper.
El Mayón, one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippine archipelago, is also one of the great tourist attractions in the area, due to the beauty of its almost perfect conical shape.
Its last eruption occurred in 2018, when tens of thousands of people had to be evacuated.