Mount Mayon’s near-perfect cone is threatening to explode, driving more than 30,000 Albay residents to seek safer ground.

One of the Philippines’ iconic images, Mayon is also one of the world’s most active volcanoes, yet communities have long been farming its fertile slopes. But since Monday, glowing lava has been spilling out of its crater, warning of a possible eruption.

As of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, 30,761 residents had been evacuated, according to the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council in Bicol. Nearly all came from the towns of Camalig, Daraga, and Malilipot, and the cities of Legazpi and Tabaco.

“Sixty-eight percent na ang nailikas. Baka tomorrow, 100 percent na,” Albay Governor Joey Salceda said in a phone interview with GMANews.TV, adding that local governments were prepared to accommodate the evacuees.

The governor said the affected residents are provided with a five-kilogram supply of rice daily. Because elementary schools were converted into evacuation centers, tents were set up on schools grounds so students can continue their classes.

On the other hand, the head Office of Civil Defense in Region 5 said some problems are being encountered in evacuation centers, like the lack of water and toilets.

“Ngayon, inaayos pa kasi medyo biglaan yung evacuation (We are fixing these because the evacuation was too sudden),” said Rafael Alejandro IV.

Alert Level 3 remains

In its update on Wednesday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Alert Level 3 remained hoisted and no explosion had occurred.

However, Phivolcs said that “if the trend is of increasing unrest, hazardous volcanic eruption is possible within weeks.”

It added that as of 8 a.m. on Wednesday, lava trickling from the crater already reached about 700 meters to 800 meters along the slopes.

Phivolcs also recorded 78 volcanic earthquakes and tremors. “The earthquakes represent magma ascent toward the crater while the tremors were associated with the detached fragments of lava and rockfalls,” it said.

The body advised that there should be no human activity within the six-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone around the volcano and within the seven-kilometer Extended Danger Zone on the southeast flank of the volcano.

-gmanews