Mayon belches 1-kilometer ash plume

MANILA — Mayon Volcano sent up a brownish ash plume about 1 kilometer into the sky on Monday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said. 

The ash plume drifted to the southwest and brought ashfall over several barangays of Camalig and Guinobatan, Albay, Phivolcs said. 

It said a level 3 alert out of a scale of 5 remained over Mayon, which meant that “magma is near or at the surface, and activity could lead to hazardous eruption in weeks.”  

Entry into the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone around the volcano remained prohibited.

Meanwhile, Camalig Mayor Caloy Baldo noted that it was “not safe to evacuate while ashfall is heavy.”

“Safest option is to stay indoors,” he said, adding that local authorities were distributing face masks.   

— With a report from Dabet Panelo, ABS-CBN News