Mayon volcano alert raised after ash eruption

The Philippines raised the alert level for Mount Mayon on Friday after the volcano sent a dark ash column thousands of metres into the sky in a nearly six-minute eruption.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology described the event as a “moderately explosive eruption” and raised the alert level from 2 to 3 on its 0-5 scale. It called for evacuations within six kilometres of the crater.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage in nearby towns and cities. The institute said the ash column rose about 3,000 metres and drifted southwest towards nearby population centres.

The institute said Mayon had entered a new phase of magmatic eruption, with increased chances of lava flows and hazardous pyroclastic density currents affecting the upper to middle slopes in the coming days to weeks. It urged aircraft to avoid flying close to the volcano.

Mayon, about 330 kilometres southeast of Manila, is one of three Philippine volcanoes that have shown elevated activity this year.