Mayon Volcano – Alert level 5 for Mayon Imminent
Volcanologists at the Philippine Institute on Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) mull over raising the highest possible alert status on Mount Mayon in Legazpi, Albay after observing continuing trends of increasing volcanic activities in the volcano.
Jimmy Sincioco, spokesperson of PHIVOLCS on Mount Mayon activities, said that hoisting Alert Level 5 would be probable in the next few days as soon as they observed “surface manifestations” hazardous eruption in the perfect-coned volcano.
“Even if there have been intensified level of volcanic activities in Mayon, we are still waiting for some critical factors before we raise the status to Level 5,” Sincioco said, explaining that Level 5 is only hoisted if there is already hazardous eruption going on.
“But right now, there are still no surface manifestations like voluminous eruption columns that could cause hazardous pyroclastic flows and perceptible earthquakes,” he reiterated in a phone interview.
Sincioco clarified that the pyroclastic flow presently coming down from the higher and middle slopes of Mayon can only be considered as secondary, which originates from the piles of lava deposit earlier spewed by the world-renowned volcano.
