An eruption from one of the Philippines' most active volcanoes is possible within weeks, government scientists warned Tuesday as Mount Mayon continued to spew ash. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level to "critical" after the volcano recorded an escalation of unrest over a 15-hour period, including 39 incidents of hot rocks falling in the summit area and 32 low-frequency volcanic earthquakes.
The institute said molten lava and hot volcanic gases have made a glow in the 8,070-foot volcano's crater observable. Joey Salceda, governor of the Albay province, ordered the evacuation of thousands of residents within a 4- to 5-mile radius of the volcano's crater Monday. Mount Mayon, located about 210 miles southeast of Manila, has erupted more than 40 times over the past 400 years. On May 7, 2013, it spewed ash, killing five climbers, including three Germans who ventured near the summit. A full eruption could boost tourism, as happened the last time Mayon fully erupted in 2009.
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