Manila Bulletin, Philippines : Ash blast jolts Mayon Volcano

03/17/2003

Ash blast jolts Mayon Volcano

By Ed de Leon

LEGAZPI CITY – Mayon Volcano in Albay exploded anew at about 6:19 p.m. yesterday, ejecting thick dark ash as high as one kilometer above its crater and sending rumbling sounds as far as 15 kilometers away, scientists from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) office here reported yesterday.

The sudden ash explosion sent residents within the six-kilometer permanent danger zone scampering for safety.

Ed Laguerta, resident volcanologist at the Ligñon Hill observatory here, said they immediately alerted the Phivolcs monitoring stations around Mayon to closely observe the volcano's activity.

Laguerta said should the volcano normalize by tomorrow morning, "we will merely issue an advisory so that the people could be cautioned for any eventuality."

He said Phivolcs issued an advisory last Feb. 1, after puff explosions were observed over Mayon last Jan. 30 and 31.

Mayon's alert level was lowered to normal when it no longer had abnormal activities after it last erupted on July 27, 2001.

Laguerta advised the public to take precautionary measures due to the explosion yesterday.

Laguerta said Mayon may erupt anew because volcanic materials remain deposited inside the volcano even after it already had its series of eruptions from 2000 to 2001.

"But it is still too early to say that it will continue to worsen as a result of the ash explosion," he said.

Chief Supt. Rodolfo Tor, Regional Disaster Coordinating Council Chair and Bicol police director, has directed the different disaster control agencies here to be on alert.

At least 78 farmers died during the sudden eruption of Mayon on Feb. 2, 1993.