Mayon, the country's most active volcano belched out choking ash Tuesday as authorities, fearing a major eruption, struggled to deal with thousands of evacuees crammed into shelters. Government volcanologists raised the alert level at Mayonvolcano to “4” as dirty white ash continues to envelope its three surrounding towns of Tabaco, Guinobatan and Legazpi. Rumbles inside the volcano's cavernous maw have been shaking the ground scaring Bicolanos living near the declared danger zone. The Phililppine Institute of Vulcanonlo and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded 1, 299 minor quakes while an intermittent fountain of lava continue to shoot up to as high as two meters from the volcano's crater. It spewed 6, 529 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions, the Phivolcs bulletin said. Phivolcs predicted the volcano's eruption will contain rocks and smoldering fire of lava flow as what happened in its latest eruption in 2006. Mayon Volcano had already erupted 47 times since 1616. Up north, Phivolcs likewise measured an intensity 5.1 earthquake that shook Kalinga-Apayao early Tuesday morning. The Phivolcs report noted that the earthquake tremors were felt in West Tabuk, Kalinga-Apayao at 3:59 A.M. It was of tectonic origin and no damage was reported so far, it added. The ash spread over a wide terrain by Mount Mayon, about 330 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Manila, raised new health fears for locals already braced for an eruption that scientists say could come any day. More than 45,000 evacuees taking refuge in overcrowded buildings were set to endure Christmas away from home, officials said, as authorities vied to bring in relief supplies and prevent outbreaks of disease. Vehicles driving along roads around Guinobatan village, some 14 kilometers from Mayon, kicked up clouds of volcanic dust as residents complained of stinging eyes and irritated skin. “It's not very thick, just a few millimeters of ash, but that is the most dangerous part because it is very fine ash,” chief government volcanologist Renato Solidum said in a television interview. Health officials warned the tiny particles could cause respiratory problems or skin diseases, and could affect the evacuees sheltering beyond the eight-kilometre danger zone. Provincial governor Joey Salceda said there were only about 500 people still in the zone, where some farmers have been reluctant to abandon their holdings in the fertile pastures around Mayon. “We are doing all sorts of contortions just to bring them in,” Salceda said while adding he was reluctant to resort to force. He said “definitely (evacuated villagers) will spend Christmas and even New Year's Day in evacuation centres”. In some school buildings being used as shelters, whole families were packed into rooms where they had to sleep and eat on the floor or on top of school desks. Authorities were rushing to install additional toilets and bring in more clean water to avert disease, provincial disaster control operations officer Jukes Nunez said.
