Noxious gases cloak Mayon

A dense white cloud of noxious gases shrouded Mayon Volcano in Albay yesterday and precariously perched ash piles swelled with rain as farmers continued to toil near its foot.

The crater has spewed five million cubic meters of lava, heated to 1,000 degrees Celsius, and hundreds of boulders in five days of eruption.

Steam coming from the bubbling magma within hid the summit yesterday in a cloak of sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrosulphuric acid.

Boulders 20 to 30 meters across continue to be spewn out of the volcano and tumble down its slopes.

Raymundo Punongbayan, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), told The STAR yesterday pyroclastic deposits hurled by eruptions over the weekend were not enough to cause lahar to flow into rivers stemming from Mayon.

However, Punongbayan warned residents that heavy rains might trigger lahar to flow rapidly into rivers and reach populated areas.

"Alert level 5 remains hoisted over Mayon Volcano and the public is advised to stay away from the previously delineated danger zones," he said.

Volcanologist Ed Villacorta said sulfur dioxide emissions reached 4,000 tons daily yesterday from 3,600 tons last Wednesday in a sign of magma movement.

Villacorta said Mayon, one of the country’s most active volcanoes, emits 500 tons of sulfur dioxide a day when it is not erupting.

But Villacorta said the number of seismic tremors dropped yesterday, making immediate volcanic activity difficult to predict.

Dr. Veronica Madulid, Albay provincial health officer, said 220 evacuees have been downed by acute respiratory diseases; flu, 37; skin diseases, 39; sore eyes, 24; traumatic injuries, 18; and 16 by toothache and asthma.

"We are closely watching infectious diseases like diarrhea, measles and smallpox," she said.

"The case of measles at the San Jose evacuation center has been isolated to prevent it from spreading."

Madulid said anti-measles immunization has been started in the evacuation centers in the towns of Malilipot and Tabaco, and on Sunday in Daraga.

Albay fire marshal Herbert Cezar said firetrucks will distribute potable water in the different evacuation centers, using donated filtering machines.

"There is no danger of water being contaminated because the tank of our firetrucks are either made of stainless steel or non-corrosive materials," he said.

On the other hand, Orlando Roces, director for the Bicol region of the Department of Public Works and Highways, said some P2.4 million has been allocated for the repair of 21 toilets and six kitchens in the various evacuation centers.

Most of the evacuation centers are converted schoolhouses which have swiftly become overcrowded, raising fears of disease epidemics breaking out from the congestion and inadequate sanitation.

Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Soliman said regular classes were still going on in some schools, forcing evacuees to huddle outside during lessons.

Soliman said the congestion was being alleviated as tarpaulin and other materials have been brought in to set up "tent cities" throughout the province.

Water supplies were also being improved and there were only a few cases of illness, she said.

Soliman said there were adequate food rations available, including donations from private groups, but if the emergency continues for another 10 days, they will need additional support from citizens.

The immediate need was for donations of tents as well as mats, blankets and other bedding materials as evacuated families complained of being packed into classrooms to sleep in cold, concrete floors, she added.– Felix de los Santos, Celso Amo