Thousands of people have fled their homes as Mount Mayon, an active volcano located about 340 kilometers southeast of the capital Manila, erupted this week, sending a huge column of lava fragments, ash, and steam 10 kilometers up into the sky.
The government said at least 70,000 people, most of whom live inside the nine-kilometer radius from the volcano, have already been evacuated to 57 temporary shelters, mostly schools, in several towns of Albay Province.