Mayon eruption raises alert, more than 1,100 families evacuated

Philippine authorities ordered the evacuation of more than 1,100 families living within 6 kilometres of Mayon volcano in Albay province after a moderately explosive eruption raised the alert to level 3, with no casualties reported.

Why it matters: Phivolcs says Mayon has entered a new phase of magmatic eruption with a rising tendency toward a dangerous eruption and possible lava flows in the coming days or weeks, and this is the second time this year the volcano has reached alert level 3.

Data as of Agencia EFE report of October 31, 2026 via RPP, in Spanish, read in full in this run; the technical figures are those of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) as cited by EFE, and the evacuation counts are those of the Albay provincial emergency office and Tabaco's disaster office as cited by EFE. Developing item.

Mayon, the Philippines’ most active volcano, in Albay province, had a moderately explosive eruption that Phivolcs timed at 11:53 local time, lasting almost six minutes and sending a dense ash cloud to 3,000 metres above the crater. Phivolcs raised the alert from level 2 to level 3 on its five-point scale, saying the volcano has entered a new phase of magmatic eruption, after recording 101 volcanic earthquakes in the previous 24 hours, up from 3 to 14 a day the week before.

Authorities ordered everyone within a 6 kilometre radius to leave, with the Albay provincial emergency office estimating about 1,133 families would be evacuated. Tabaco city, northeast of the volcano, ordered five neighbourhoods out, affecting 489 families and 1,787 people, and Camalig, to the southwest, moved 205 families to evacuation centres and distributed masks against ashfall. Classes were suspended across Albay province, access to the 6 kilometre zone was blocked and overflight of the crater banned. No casualties were reported, and light ashfall was recorded in Camalig, Guinobatan and upland areas of Legazpi.

Mayon eruption raises alert, more than 1,100 families evacuated

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