Around 2,000 evacuated so far from restive Mayon's danger zone: official

MANILA — Over 600 families or around 2,000 people inside the active Mayon Volcano's 6-kilometer permanent danger zone in Albay have been evacuated so far since Friday, a local official said Saturday.

There are some 4,749 families or 18,184 individuals living within the permanent danger zone, according to the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO).

• Mayon raised to Alert 3: 'Effusive magmatic eruption taking place'

Eugene Escobar, research chief of the APSEMO, told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo that the evacuation of remaining families in six towns is ongoing and the aim is to transfer all of them to temporary shelters.

On Friday, a state of calamity was declared by the Albay provincial government to trigger the immediate release of calamity funds worth P30 million.

But Albay Governor Edcel Greco Lagman said the fund, meant to cater to the needs of evacuees, would only last for 15 to 20 days.

• Albay declares state of calamity due to Mayon Volcano's unrest
• Thousands evacuate as Mayon Volcano threatens to erupt

The Mayon's permanent danger zone has been under evacuation orders since Thursday or when state seismologists raised the alarm that the volcano could make a "potential explosive activity within weeks or even days."

Phivolcs chief Teresito Bacolcol on Thursday warned that Mayon was ripe for another eruption, which usually happens once every 3 to 10 years. 

Mayon last erupted in 2018, displacing tens of thousands of people after spewing millions of tons of ash, rocks, and lava.

• Phivolcs captures 'crater glow' at Mayon
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