Mayon volcano erupts in the Philippines: three-kilometre ash column, more than 2,000 evacuated

Mayon volcano in the Philippine province of Albay erupted on October 30 at 11:53 a.m. local time, sending an ash column about three kilometres above the crater, GMA News and AFP report. The eruption lasted about six minutes.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) raised the alert from level two to three on a scale of zero to five. "Alert Level 3 prevails over Mayon and entry into the 6-km Permanent Danger Zone should be prohibited," the institute said.

By 5 p.m., 746 families, or 2,041 people, had been evacuated from Tabaco, Camalig and Ligao.