Philippines warns health concerns as volcano spews ash

Hundreds of families living around Mount Mayon in central Albay province have been evacuated to safer areas after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised a "hazardous eruption" alarm. (Photo: AFP)

Earlier, more than 12,800 people living around Mayon, one of the most active volcano in the country as it began to erupt, have been evacuated

The Philippines’ Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said it had recorded at least one volcanic earthquake in the past 24 hours. Volcanologists said rocks were raining down on areas up to two kilometres away and sulphur dioxide emissions had tripled on June 10.

Speaking at a press conference on June 11, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said authorities raised the natural disaster from Level 2 to Level 3 on June 9 with warning of possible respiratory illnesses from inhaling fumes. A possible major eruption could happen within days or weeks.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has requested people to follow the recommendations and evacuation instructions of local governments.

Mayon, about 330km southeast of the capital Manila, has a unique cone shape and is a popular tourist destination. It has erupted more than 50 times in the past 400 years. Five years ago, the volcano displaced tens of thousands of people after spewing millions of tonnes of ash, rocks and lava.

The Philippines is located in the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The country’s most powerful eruption in recent decades was Mount Pinatubo, which killed more than 800 people in 1991./.

VNA