Philippines raises volcano alert, warns of hazardous eruptions

The Philippines raised the alert at its restive Mayon volcano by one notch early on Sunday, citing signs of rising magma that could lead to hazardous eruptions. Residents were evacuated from two villages near the volcano, a tourist attraction in central Albay province because of its near-perfect cone shape, following a “phreatic or steam-driven eruption” on Saturday. The explosion unleashed ash, rocks and sulfuric odor, and was followed by rumbling sounds and a faint glow in the crater, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said in its latest bulletin.