Mayon spews thick lava

LEGAZPI CITY – Mayon Volcano spewed thick lava yesterday morning, an event seen by state volcanologists as a prelude to a big eruption.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) director Renato Solidum said “short and stubby” lava, approximately 350 meters in length, flowed down the eastern side of Bonga Gulley along the southeast slope of Mayon facing Legazpi City and Daraga.

The lava flow was confirmed following an aerial survey by Phivolcs and Office of Civil Defense personnel between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. yesterday.

Three hours earlier, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Press Secretary Edwin Lacierda, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman, Health Secretary Enrique Ona, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin arrived in the province for a briefing on the distribution of food packs to Mayon evacuees.

During the briefing, Phivolcs-Bicol chief volcanologist Ed Laguerta told the six Cabinet officials that the lava flow is the initial phase of a possible big eruption of Mayon.

“No lava doming and no lava flow in the past that did not continue to a full-blown eruption,” Laguerta said, citing previous eruptions.

Phivolcs senior geologist Win Sevilla explained that the magma push has reached the upper slope of Mayon, which caused lava to exit on the right portion of the lava dome facing Legazpi City and Daraga.

“Actually, we are really anticipating this event when we confirmed that the surface inflation continues in the past days as the crater is more than half-clogged,” Sevilla said.

Sevilla also said that Mayon’s surface is now swollen by more than 17 millimeters, based on latest ground deformation precise leveling surveys.

“All the data that we are getting from the base slope of Mayon show that the surface is inflating at a faster pace now,” Sevilla added.

Laguerta noted that the lava flow phase started almost two weeks after Mayon exhibited a lull in other precursors such as volcanic quakes, rockfall events and gas emission.

According to Phivolcs, the small number of volcanic earthquakes and rockfalls over the past few days suggests a sluggish movement of lava and its slow extrusion from the crater.

Solidum could not say if Mayon would spew more magma in the coming days but Phivolcs will continue to monitor other signs, such as an increase in volcanic tremors, before raising the volcano’s alert level to 4.

Mayon’s alert status remained at level 3, which means that a hazardous eruption is possible within weeks.

“Although we could not really tell when will be the big eruption, this lava flow indicates that Mayon’s eruption episode had now commenced,” Laguerta said.

The six Cabinet officials proceeded to evacuation centers in Sto. Domingo and Guinobatan to turn over food packs to Mayon evacuees. At least 54,000 food packs arrived in Albay yesterday in 54 trucks.

Roxas said President Aquino ordered the formation of the Zero Casualty and Good Governance Caravan to ensure that evacuees would have enough provisions while Mayon’s eruption is going on. – With Helen Flores, Delon Porcalla