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Lava glows while cascading on the slopes of Mayon volcano in the Philippines - Source: Reuters -
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The Philippines' most active volcano has spewed ash as high as 500 metres, and burning rocks and mud a kilometre down its slopes, as vulcanologists say they expect a major hazardous eruption soon.
More than 20,00 people have been evacuated from around Mayon's danger zones, according to Defence Secretary Norberto Gonzales.
Vulcanologists recorded at least five minor explosions on Wednesday from Mayon volcano, famed for its near-perfect cone shape in a coconut-growing region of the central Philippines.
It has spewed burning mud and rocks for a third day.
Nearly 80 high frequency quakes have been recorded around the volcano in the last 24 hours.
Officials raised Mayon's alert to level 3 on Monday, meaning sudden hazardous explosions were likely.
"We're keeping the alert level but we're observing increased activity in the volcano," says Renato Solidum, head of the Philippine Institute for Volcanolgy and Seismology (Phivolcs).
Solidum says lava has rolled down about 1km from the summit while burning rocks have started detaching from the crater summit, generating ashfalls in two towns near Mayon's slope.
He has advised people in three cities and five towns near the base of the volcano to cover their noses and mouth with masks or wet cloths to prevent inhaling ash from the volcano.
"The danger is when residents inhale the fine ash and this weakens their lungs, especially those with lung ailments," he says.
Gonzales, who also heads the government's disaster agency, says about 50,000 masks will be distributed to residents and food and water stations are being set up for displaced families.
The Philippines lies on the Ring of Fire, a belt of volcanoes circling the Pacific Ocean that is also prone to earthquakes.
Mayon is the most active of 22 volcanoes in the country, having erupted more than 50 times in the last four centuries.
The most destructive eruption came in February 1841 when lava flows buried a town and killed 1,200 people.
The last time Mayon erupted was in 2006.
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