Philippines’ Mayon Volcano spews lava in gentle eruption, thousands warned

The Philippines’ most active volcano was spewing lava down its slopes on Monday, prompting officials to warn tens of thousands of villagers to be prepared to flee from their homes if the gentle eruption turns into a violent and life-threatening explosion.
More than 13,000 people have left the mostly poor farming communities within a 6-kilometer radius of Mayon Volcano’s crater in mandatory evacuations since volcanic activity increased last week.
But an unspecified number of residents remain within the permanent danger zone below Mayon, an area long declared off-limits to people but where generations have lived and farmed because they have nowhere else to go.
With the volcano beginning to expel lava Sunday night, the high-risk zone around Mayon may be expanded should the eruption turn violent,according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
People hurriedly stepped out of restaurants and bars in a seaside promenade of Legazpi, the capital of northeastern Albay province about 14 kilometers from Mayon, many of them snapping pictures of the volcano that’s a popular tourist draw known for its picturesque conical shape.