January 24, 2018—With the possibility of an imminent, catastrophic explosion by the volcano Mount Mayon, tens of thousands of people have fled their homes in the Philippines' Albay province. Mayon's steep, symmetrical cone is the legacy of frequent eruptions. Of the 53 active volcanoes in the Philippines, Mayon erupts the most often. The deadliest eruption came in 1814, in an event sending ash miles into the sky, and claiming 1,200 lives. As of January 23, no one has died in the current eruption. Some evacuees live far from the cone, but could face danger from lahar a type of mudflow made up of volcanic matter and heavy rain. The peak activity that could devastate areas close to the volcano is a pyroclastic flow, the violent blast of lava, ash, and gas.
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Why This Volcano Eruption in the Philippines May Be Especially Deadly
