Asia-Pacific

Forced evacuations around Philippine volcano

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-12-18 08:16

LEGAZPI, Philippines: Security forces will forcibly evacuate thousands of residents reluctant to leave their farms near a smoldering volcano in the Philippines despite fears of a major eruption, officials said.

Authorities in Albay province yesterday declared a round-the-clock ban on anyone entering an 8-kilometer danger zone around the Mayon volcano, which is spewing lava and ash.

More than 33,000 of about 47,000 people have been evacuated from the zone this week, after scientists raised a five-stage alert to the third level - a signal of possible hazardous eruptions within weeks.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said a provincial board has authorized police and soldiers to move out some 2,000 remaining families starting today, Salceda said.

He said police will show pictures of victims of a 1993 eruption that killed more than 70 people as they go around villages to "inform (residents) of the risk of staying."

He said many have refused to leave their vegetable farms on the volcano's slopes during the current harvest time.

Chief state volcanologist Renato Solidum said Mayon, the most active of the country's 22 volcanoes, continued to rumble with 82 quakes and eight ash explosions during a 24-hour period ending yesterday morning.

The current activity of the volcano is similar to the initial phases of previous eruptions in 2000, 2001 and 2006, he said.

He said there was a high danger that cascading lava could trigger a pyroclastic flow - superheated gas and volcanic debris racing down the slopes at very high speed, vaporizing everything in its path.

Salceda said the police and military will block 12 gateways to 56 villages within the danger zone to enforce the round-the-clock curfew on the area, which will remain until scientists lower the volcano alert by one level.