Volcano forces 85,000 Filipinos to flee their homes

Philippine authorities who have declared a no-go zone around an erupting volcano said Thursday they will remove all holdouts, by force if necessary, to avoid casualties after tens of thousands of other residents fled to safety. (AFP)

MANILA: The Mayon volcano on the island of Luzon continued to spew lava and ash after forcing more than 85,000 people to flee their homes in the two weeks since it began to display signs of unrest.
Most of the affected population are now staying in emergency shelters, mainly schools turned into evacuation centers.
State volcanologists are keeping a close watch on the volcano’s activity, which shows no sign of stopping 13 days after it began to spew ash. The volcano is located in Albay province, south of the Philippines’ capital of Manila.
An alert level four remains hoisted over Mayon, which means a hazardous eruption is imminent.
The Philippine Institute of Seismology and Volcanology said it had recorded six lava fountains at Mayon yesterday. The fountains reached 400 meters to 500 meters in height and generated ash plumes that soared five kilometers above the crater.
Despite the risks, some villagers are returning to their homes within the six-kilometer permanent danger zone to check on animals and crops. No casualties have been reported from the eruption.
Damage to agriculture, fisheries and livestock has been estimated at more than $2 million.
The volcano’s activity has also forced the cancelation of several domestic and international flights to nearby Naga and Legazpi cities.
As as the eruption draws more local and foreign tourists, authorities repeated their appeal to the public to stay clear of the danger zone and observe safety precautions.