Philippines evacuates thousands after Mayon volcano rumbles

More than 6,000 villagers have been forced to leave rural communities within a six-kilometre (3.7-mile) radius of the Mayon volcano’s crater in northeastern Albay province in the Philippines.

Officials on Saturday said thousands more need to be moved to safety from the permanent danger zone amid another threat: monsoon rains that could be unleashed by an approaching typhoon.

Authorities warned that Typhoon Guchol, which is approaching the Philippines from the Pacific but is projected to skirt the archipelago, may still dump heavy rains – unwelcome news for those living near Mayon’s slopes.

People living outside the perimeter have packed their bags and voluntarily left with their children for evacuation centres in Albay, which was placed under a state of calamity on Friday to allow the more rapid disbursement of emergency funds in case a major eruption unfolds.

(Aljazeera)