For the past two weeks, the Philippine volcano Mount Mayon has been sporadically erupting, releasing small to medium amounts of ash and lava as local authorities warn that the magma underlying Mayon is still building and a more violent eruption may be imminent. Some 75,000 residents have been evacuated already, most removed from areas where they would be vulnerable to pyroclastic flows—avalanches of superheated gas and volcanic debris emitted by the volcano. One pyroclastic flow last week reached 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the crater in one area. Earlier today, Philippine authorities who are enforcing a no-go zone around Mayon said they would remove all holdouts, by force if necessary.
The Ominous Rumblings of Mount Mayon
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A huge column of ash shoots up to the sky during an eruption of Mayon volcano on January 22, 2018, as seen from Daraga township, Legazpi City, Albay province, around 340 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Manila, Philippines. #
Dan Amaranto / AP -
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Students pass through a rice paddy as they run away from cascading volcanic materials from the slopes of Mayon Volcano in Guinobatan, Albay province, Philippines, on January 22, 2018. #
Rhadyz Barcia / Reuters -
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A water buffalo grazes on volcanic ash-covered grass following the sporadic eruptions of Mayon volcano, on, January 24, 2018, near Guinobatan township, Albay province, Philippines, on January 24, 2018. #
Bullit Marquez / AP -
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A couple on motorcycle, their faces covered with masks to protect them from ash, ride on a highway as Mayon volcano continues to erupt as seen from Camalig town on January 25, 2018. #
Ted Aljibe / AFP / Getty -
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