Philippine troops guard against tourists around erupting volcano

Manila - Philippine troops were dispatched Monday to guard against foreign and local tourists venturing into danger zones around an erupting volcano in an eastern province, officials said. Captain Razaleight Bansawan, a military spokesman, said local guides have been taking tourists to Mayon volcano in Albay province, 360 kilometers south-east of Manila, despite warnings of a possible explosion.

"A platoon of soldiers were deployed to beef up the present strength of soldiers manning six military checkpoints in the south-east sector of Mayon," he said.

Bansawan said Albay provincial Governor Joey Salceda vowed to take "punitive actions" against local tourist guides who were defying his order to stop all human activity in the danger zones around Mayon.

Mayon, famous for its nearly symmetrical cone, has been erupting since December 14, forcing nearly 50,000 residents to flee their homes and spend Christmas in cramped evacuation centres.

State volcanologists warned that the volcano appears to be gearing up for a explosion.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said it recorded at least seven ash explosion overnight, with the columns reaching a maximum height of 2 kilometers above the summit.

Mayon was also continuously ejecting fiery rock fragments, while lava flowed more than 5 kilometers downslope in at least four sections of the volcano.

The 2,472-meter volcano has erupted about 50 times since 1616. It last erupted in July 2006, forcing more than 30,000 people to flee their homes.

Mayon's most violent eruption was in 1814 when more than 1,200 people were killed and a town was buried in volcanic mud. An eruption in 1993 killed 79 people.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/301189,philippine-troops-guard-against-tourists-around-erupting-volcano.html.