Ashfall from Mayon displaces villagers, kills livestock
LEGAZPI CITY—Thick ash and smoke from pyroclastic density currents (PDC) from Mayon Volcano darkened skies across parts of Albay on Saturday, forcing residents to flee and leaving animals dead along its slopes.
In Barangay Salugan, Camalig, 18-year-old Kyla Millares and her family were among dozens who rushed out of their homes as ashfall intensified at 5:38 p.m., turning daylight into near darkness.
Fearing for their safety, they evacuated by tricycle and jeepney, first taking shelter at a gasoline station before moving to their barangay hall. They returned home later that evening as conditions improved.
“We weren’t sure what was falling—it could have been mixed with debris. We left immediately because the ash kept coming,” Millares told the Inquirer.
Local authorities in Camalig said 403 families or 1,427 individuals from the villages of Quirangay, Anoling, Salugan and Cabagñan were affected. Many sought temporary shelter in modular tents at Tagaytay Elementary School and in classrooms at Bariw Elementary School.
Camalig Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief Edlyn Noble said residents opted to evacuate quickly, especially those living in light-material houses, as ash could be heard and felt hitting rooftops.
Widespread impact
The latest displacement follows earlier evacuations in January, when 203 families from high-risk areas within the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone were relocated after Alert Level 3 was raised over Mayon Volcano.
Paul Karson Alanis, volcanologist at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, said the ashfall was triggered by a collapse of accumulated lava in the Mi-isi Gully, generating a PDC.
While lava flow remains slow, continued emissions make deposits unstable and prone to collapse, he explained.
Monitoring instruments still detected PDC activity as late as 9 p.m.on Saturday.
In neighboring Guinobatan, Mayor Ann Gemma Ongjoco reported ashfall affecting 44 villages and some 28,337 families, particularly in central areas.
Face masks were distributed to vulnerable residents, while classes and local activities were suspended to limit exposure.
Clearing and flushing operations began on Saturday night, but ash remained on major roads the following day, making travel difficult. Some residents, like a commuter from Ligao City, wore face masks even while riding to protect themselves from lingering ash.
Camalig Mayor Carlos Irwin Baldo Jr. said thick ash blanketed farmlands, killing five carabaos and two cows in Barangay Anoling due to prolonged exposure. One cow and one carabao were still unaccounted for as of Sunday.
Vegetation in several areas has also started to wither under heavy ash cover.
In Daraga, local officials advised farmers to move their livestock away from the volcano’s slopes and avoid tending fields in high-risk zones.
Authorities have yet to determine the full extent of damage.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development on Sunday said over 300,000 food items and basic needs have already been readied for the affected residents. —WITH A REPORT FROM ZACARIAN SARAO
******
Get real-time news updates: inqnews.net/inqviber
