Manila (EFE).- The Mayon volcano in the Philippines roars again. Since days ago it began to expel lava, rock and sulfur dioxide, a gas dangerous to health, some 20,000 people have had to be evacuated from their homes and more than 600 have required medical attention for respiratory problems. The seismological forecasts are not entirely rosy and suggest that the volcanic activity could last three more months.
Below is the chronology of this natural accident that has shocked the Philippines.
First evacuations and alert level 3 (out of 5)
Around 10,000 people residing in the province of Albay (east of the island of Luzon, northeast of the country) began to evict their homes at the beginning of the month. There was then a high risk of eruption and the authorities placed the alert level at 3 out of 5.
The evacuation reached all those people who lived in a radius of less than 6 kilometers. There was tension and fear then, and according to what eyewitnesses told EFE by telephone, chaotic scenes took place.
The most common were people who ran back to their homes to collect forgotten belongings and citizens who, fearing that personal belongings or livestock would be stolen, refused to leave their homes.
The country’s president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., tried to calm the population and announced the preparation of 179,000 food packages to be distributed over the following days among the affected people. He also advanced the release of a fund of 114 million pesos (1.8 million euros) for care and assistance.
Rock expulsions and sulfur emissions
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology (Phivolcs) is the body in charge of monitoring the volcano’s activity, and therefore setting alert levels. Make daily reports.
On June 9, for example, it reported the existence of a volcanic earthquake that caused 59 rockfalls and the emission of 417 tons of sulfur dioxide. This caused red flashes of lava to be seen in the sky. A day later, to cite another example, he specified that there were 177 rockfalls.
Evacuations continued over the weekend of June 10-11. About 13,000 people from some 3,500 families left their homes due to the danger generated by the volcano, which did not stop spewing rocks and lava.
The dangers of Mayón
Mayón has not stopped spitting ash and gas in the form of columns, visible from long distances.
In addition, the activity of the magma that is in the crater, as well as the rise in pressure, has triggered another natural (and visual) effect: a lava vault at the top.
Rock expulsions are not the only danger for the population. Also sulfur dioxide emissions. The Ministry of Health has warned the population of the risks of inhaling this gas, typical of volcanic eruptions.
On June 13, the number of people evacuated rose to 14,000 and the authorities began to talk about the fact that the volcanic activity and the consequent risks for the population could last several months.
“Based on our previous experiences, this volcanic activity may persist for a few months,” Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Seismological Agency (Phivolcs), warned in an interview with local radio outlet Radio DZMM. Uncertainty about how long the threat from the volcano could last became the main cause for concern.
Mayón, then, had spit out a tongue of lava half a kilometer long, and although according to Phivolcs’s report the volcano’s activity had registered a slight decrease, since only one earthquake occurred, compared to twenty a week before, the alert did not go down.
It did not do so because the level of sulfur dioxide emissions increased and because, after several days of activity and eruptions, the Philippine seismological agency warned of another risk: landslides and avalanches of ash and mud as a result of sediment agglomerations. on the slopes of the volcano.
Prepared to evacuate 40,000 people
Since the activity of the volcano does not cease, although it fluctuates in intensity, the Philippine authorities have prepared for the evacuation of up to 40,000 people, which would happen if the alert level is raised to 4 and the radius of security, a possibility that cannot be ruled out.
As of June 14, there were more than 15,000 evicted people, temporarily residing in facilities set up by local authorities, such as some schools in the city of Legazpi, the most important in the area.
Hundreds of the people who were evacuated already reside in the town of Camalig (72,000 inhabitants), 11 kilometers from the volcano. Numerous neighbors have offered as volunteers to give classes to the boys and girls and to help with cleaning and cooking tasks.
The Philippine Government, in the province of Albay, has already set up 28 evacuation centers.
three more months
As of June 16, the number of evacuees rose to 20,000. As reported by Phivolcs, the volcano’s daily activity is characterized by earthquakes, by the expansion of the lava tongue, which is already more than a kilometer long, and by sulfur dioxide emissions. The risks are not mitigated, since the agglomerations of sediments on the slopes of the mountain are getting fatter.
The director of Phivolcs, Teresito Bacolcol, stated on June 19 on local radio station Teleradyo that “it will probably take three months before Mayón’s activity ceases.”
As he explained, his calculations are based on the last eruption of the volcano, in 2018, which he described as “soft and effusive”, very similar to the current one. However, he did not rule out any option, including the violent explosion.
Precisely on June 19, the volcano’s activity seemed to have weakened, since it did not cause an earthquake and carbon dioxide emissions were slightly reduced.
The lethal precedent of 1814
Indeed, the most recent eruption of Mayón took place in 2018, when more than 75,000 people were evacuated. The deadliest was recorded, however, much earlier, in 1814. 1,200 people died buried in lava flows and rock falls.