Philippine villagers flee their homes amid fears of major volcanic eruption

December 22nd, 2009

Tens of thousands of villagers have been evacuated from their homes in the Philippines amid growing fears that its most active volcano is about to erupt. Scientists raised the alert level to four – the second highest – after a huge increase in activity today at the Mayon volcano. The army were drafted in to help the police enforce the ban on villagers entering a five-mile exclusion zone. Scientists raised the alert level after 453 volcanic earthquakes were detected in a five-hour span today, compared with just over 200 on Saturday, said Renato Solidum, head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.