Mayon Volcano erupts in Philippines

16 December, 2009

The Philippine's most active and most famous volcano, the Mayon in the Bicol Region of the country, erupted Tuesday, forcing around 40,000 people to evacuate their homes.

PHILIPPINE'S MOST active and most famous volcano, the Mayon in the Bicol Region of the country, erupted Tuesday, forcing around 40,000 people to evacuate their homes. The major eruption from the 8,070-foot volcano brought about ash explosions and dark orange lava fragments trickled down the mountain slope.

According to the head of Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Renato Solidum “Magma had been rising at the volcano over the past two weeks and began to ooze out of its crater Monday night, but it could get worse in coming days”.

Provincial emergency management official Jukes Nunez said Military trucks and even heavy trucks being used to evacuate the residents and they are using to stay at government schools, where classes have been called off.

The Mayon threat has come at a particularly inconvenient time of the year for the evacuees as they, like most of the other 92 million people in the predominantly Christian country, prepare for Christmas celebrations. The 2,460-metre (8,070-feet) volcano remains a popular tourist attraction, and is famous for its perfect cone.