More Mayon eruptions feared; evacuees swell to 35,000

Lull before the storm?

After spewing fountains of bright red lava, Mayon Volcano calmed down yesterday, but authorities warned villagers returning to their homes and farms it may explode anew with more fury.

Jason Aragon, coordinator of the evacuation operations for some 35,000 people in 18 affected villages, said some of the evacuees returned to their homes despite the warnings.

Scientists predicted the volcano would spit more pyroclastic materials — clouds of low-flying ash, gas and rock fragments — that can flow at a rate of 100 kilometers per hour, threatening low-lying communities.

The explosions could be heard eight kilometers away, as the crater glowed brightly against an overcast sky.

Thirteen military trucks were dispatched to keep the villagers away from the danger zone.

Meanwhile, the 11 evacuation centers in five towns and three cities reported a food and water shortage.

Airports in the Bicol Region were closed due to lack of visibility and danger from flying ash and rocks.

A major explosion on Sunday shot ash up to 15 kilometers high, with continuous columns of 600 meters or more.

Visibility dropped to near zero as the enormous mushroom cloud began to settle, turning the lush green landscape gray. The explosions were audible more than 12 kilometers away.

Raymundo Punongbayan, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said the eruption could last one to two weeks, and spew up to 70 million cubic meters of lava.

As many as 60,000 people may be forced to evacuate, Punongbayan said.

With the threat of rain remaining in the wake of a tropical storm, concerns rose over the possibility of lahar mudflows like those that buried the whole town of Cagsawa and killed 1,200 people in the volcano’s worst known eruption in 1814.

The southeast portion of the crater showed visible signs of weakening and may give way in days, unleashing lava down the slopes.

Eduardo Laguerta, Phivolcs resident volcanologist, said a lava dome about 27 to 30 meters wide had formed in the crater.

Authorities have declared a seven-kilometer radius around the volcano as "no-man’s land," but many residents ventured into the danger zone during the day to tend their farms.

The danger zone was expanded to eight kilometers the other day.

The President dispatched three of her Cabinet members to Albay to oversee the government’s relief and evacuation operations. They are Manuel Dayrit of health, Corazon Soliman of social welfare and development and Angelo Reyes of defense.

Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said Mrs. Arroyo ordered the setting up of at least 10 evacuation centers in the affected areas.

Meanwhile, Philippine Airlines (PAL) canceled its flights between Manila and Legazpi City starting today until July 1 due to the volcanic eruption.

This morning’s PAL flight to neighboring Naga City was also scrapped for the same reason. – Felix de los Santos, Cet Dematera, Celso Amo, Ella Oducayen, Marichu Villanueva, Mayen Jaymalin, Paolo Romero