In brief
According to Xinhua, over 1,400 residents in Albay province were moved to safer locations following the eruption of Mayon Volcano on 31 October 2026. The volcano’s alert level was raised from 2 to 3 and the Philippine National Police prohibited entry to the 6‑kilometer danger zone. Mayon’s frequent activity continues to pose a risk to nearby communities.
According to Xinhua, over 1,400 residents in Albay province, Philippines, were moved to safer locations after the Mayon Volcano erupted Friday, 31 October 2026.
Those evacuated had lived inside the volcano’s 6‑kilometer Permanent Danger Zone, a stretch around the crater that authorities consider the most hazardous area for people during an eruption. Local officials will relocate people farther from the volcano in order to keep them away from falling ash, ejecta or lahars.
The eruption started at about 11:53 a.m. local time. It sent a plume of ash and volcanic gas up to 3,000 meters above the crater—a mark of a moderately explosive eruption, according to officials.
That same day, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised Mayon’s alert level from 2 to 3. The institute says Level 5 is the maximum, indicating that a lethal eruption is most likely. The push from 2 to 3 signals that the volcano is becoming more active and that people should remain cautious.
By the evening, the Philippine National Police had issued a strict ban on entering the 6‑kilometer zone. The police say the risk of falling ash, rocks and lava streams is high enough that it is safer for the public to stay away from the zone entirely. Enforcement of the ban is an essential part of the province’s disaster‑response plan.
Mayon is recognized worldwide for its almost perfect cone shape and has a long history of violent eruptions that have forced many communities to relocate at least once. Because of its frequent activity, it is one of the Philippines’ most closely monitored volcanoes. The 2026 eruption is another reminder of the ongoing danger it poses to people living near its slopes.
