Mount Mayon eruption sends residents back to shelters

Thousands of villagers in the central Philippines returned to emergency shelters Monday as the country’s most active volcano spewed heated lava fragments, ash, and smoke following a loud explosion. Mount Mayon’s eruption shot 2 to 3 miles into the sky, darkening nearby villages. Deadly debris from the crater billowed nearly 2 miles down the southern plank of Mayon toward a no-entry zone. Volcanic ash fell in about a dozen towns in Albay province and in nearby Camarines Sur province. Following a more restrained eruption last week, thousands of villagers in Albay returned to their homes outside the danger zone. Claudio Yucot, regional director of the office of civil defense, said nearly 12,000 people fled back to evacuation centers after Monday’s blast. Authorities on Monday raised the alert level to four on a scale of five, which means an explosive eruption likely will happen in the coming hours or days. Authorities warned airplanes to stay away from the ash-laden winds and some airlines canceled several flights.