As a result of the apparently growing risk of sudden violent eruption by the restive Mt. Mayon volcano in Albay, the local government has found it necessary to extend the danger zone to a radius of nine kilometers.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has maintained the alert status at Level 4, which is just one step below Level 5 that denotes an active explosive eruption in progress.
Images from Tuesday night showed lava fountaining episodes as well as the expulsion of molten rocks, the crater itself an eerie sight of glowing red and its vicinity punctuated by rumbling falls of boulders felt as far as the town of Guinobatan.
Throughout the day and well into the afternoon, the volcano issued columns of smoke, ash and fine particles of dust as high as five kilometers above sea level.
Most towns and Legazpi City around the volcano are experiencing difficulty coping with the increasingly intense ashfalls.
The continuous deposition of volcanic debris around the flanks of the volcano brings with it the danger of potentially destructive lahar flows when the rainy monsoon season sets in.
