Heavy rains in Albay have trigerred a lahar flow on the southern slope of Mayon Volcano, an official from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Sunday, January 28.
Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum said the lahar flowed down on Saturday afternoon between the Anuling and Miisi channels.
Solidum warned the public of possible lahar and sediment-laden stream flows on all river channels especially in the Buyuan, Miisi, Mabinit, Basud, San Vicente, Buang, Quirangay and Masarawag-Maninila amid the heavy rainfalls brought by the tail-end of a cold front.
Alert level 4 remains hoisted over Mayon, which means a hazardous eruption is imminent and the danger zone has been extended to a radius of eight kilometers.
With this, Phivolcs warned the public against entering the eight-kilometer-radius danger zone. He also urged residents to be additionally vigilant against pyroclastic density currents, lahars and sediment-laden streamflows.
Phivolcs also advised the civil aviation authorities to restrict pilots from flying close to the volcano’s summit as ash from any sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft.
About 81,000 individuals have already been displaced due to the increasing volcanic activities of Mayon. (SunStar Philippines)