Schools shelter villagers from Philippine volcano
Nearly 20,000 people have fled from an erupting Philippine volcano and taken shelter in schools, disrupting education for thousands of students, many of whom are having classes in chapels and tents or under trees, officials said on Friday. The Mayon volcano in northeastern Albay province, one of the deadliest of 24 active volcanoes across the Philippine archipelago, began expelling lava late on Sunday in a gentle eruption that has not caused any injuries or death. But it could drag on for months and cause a prolonged humanitarian crisis, officials warned. Most of those forced to evacuate live in farming villages within a 6-kilometre radius of the volcano’s crater that has long been designated as a permanent danger zone but has been home to thriving communities for generations. The evacuees were directed to more than 20 emergency shelters, which are mostly grade and high school campuses. Every classroom has turned into an overcrowded sanctuary for several families with sleeping mats, bags of clothes, cooking stoves and toys for children. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr flew to Albay on Wednesday to reassure displaced villagers, hand out food and discuss with the provincial governor and town mayors the impact of the eruption on villagers, schoolchildren and the province’s economy. The eruption is the latest natural calamity to test the administration of Marcos, who took office last June in a Southeast Asian nation regarded as one of the most disaster-prone in the world. About 20 typhoons and storms lash the Philippines every year, and the archipelago with 24 active volcanoes is shaken by frequent earthquakes. Marcos told evacuees at one centre that it could be up to three months before the volcanic eruption eases and allows them to return home. Some of the displaced villagers have complained about heat and overcrowding in emergency shelters, and local officials pledged to provide more electric fans and improve their condition. (AP)