Mayon ashfalls reach Daraga, Legazpi City

LEGAZPI CITY — Continuous lava flows from Mayon Volcano have triggered ashfalls that have drifted toward this city and adjacent Daraga town, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said yesterday.

Mayon have extruded some 12 million to 14 million cubic meters of lava since July 15, part of them now flowing through the Mabinit channel.

The slow moving lava mass has reached about 5.4 aerial kilometers from the volcano’s crater, Phivolcs said.

Smaller flows and incandescent blocks of lava were observed flowing toward the gullies in the general direction of Barangays Miisi, Mabinit, Bonga, Matanag and Buyoan at the volcano’s southeast side, it added.

"The Bonga channel has already been filled up," said Ed Laguerta, Phivolcs resident volcanologist.

Phivolcs also recorded sulfur gas emission of 6,099 tons per day, way above the normal output of 500 tons, as well as 394 tremor episodes and four volcanic earthquakes during the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, Phivolcs has lowered the alert level around Mt. Bulusan in Sorsogon from 2 to 1 due to a continuing decline in the volcano’s unrest.

"The daily count of volcanic earthquakes is now at a very low level. Sulfur dioxide emission rates and ground deformation data disclosed the volcano’s depleted condition, indicating the absence of active magma ascent," Phivolcs said.

But it advised the local folk to stay away from the four-kilometer radius permanent danger zone. — With Sheila Crisostomo