Thousands flee as lava oozes from Philippine volcano
Volcanologists have said it is a ‘quiet eruption’, but warned that it could lead to a hazardous explosion within days
Camalig, Philippines — Thousands fled from their homes as lava oozed out of a rumbling Philippine volcano on Monday in what volcanologists described as a "quiet eruption", warning it could lead to a hazardous explosion within days. Lava was slowly flowing out of the Mayon volcano’s crater along with a spectacular 1,000m ash plume rising into the sky, the nation’s volcanology institute said. More than 12,000 people have been ordered to leave a 7km danger zone around the crater, as officials warned them of potentially destructive mudflows and toxic clouds. "Technically, the volcano is erupting but the eruption is fairly quiet. It may escalate into a hazardous eruption," Paul Alanis, science research specialist at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said. A hazardous or explosive eruption means a lava fountain or a spray of hot rocks and gases that could move as fast as 60k/h, Alanis added. Local disaster officials also warned of volcanic mudflows known a...
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