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LEGASPI, Philippines: Mount Mayon sprayed volcanic ash over a wide area Tuesday, raising new health fears for thousands already nervously awaiting an eruption Philippine scientists say could come any day.
The volcano continued to rumble as it emitted clouds of soot that left a layer of ash on villages near Mayon, about 330 kilometres southeast of Manila, officials and eyewitnesses said.
"The main problem of the eruption from a distance is the fine ash which is being generated by the collapse of rock fragments from the lava flow," said chief government volcanologist Renato Solidum.
"It's not very thick, just a few millimetres of ash but that is the most dangerous part because it is very fine ash," he warned in a television interview.
Health officials warned the tiny particles could cause respiratory problems or skin diseases, and could even affect the thousands of people crammed into evacuation centres outside the eight-kilometre evacuation zone.
Eyewitnesses reported ashfall as far as ten kilometres from the restive volcano.
The government's chief epidemiologist Dr. Eric Tayag said residents should stay indoors to avoid being exposed to the ash.
He said anyone who had to venture outside should wear long-sleeved clothes and cover their nose and mouth with a damp cloth.
Mayon - which has been oozing lava and spewing ash for a week - remains at alert level four, said Solidum, meaning it could violently erupt any day.
The elevated risk has prompted authorities to evacuate more than 9,200 families -- over 44,000 people -- from the danger zone.
The 2,460-metre volcano, which is famed for its near-perfect cone, has erupted 48 times in recorded history. In 1814, more than 1,200 people were killed as lava buried the town of Cagsawa.
- AFP/ir
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