Mayon Volcano Eruption! Forced evacuation announced! Alert in the Philippines!
Alert in the Philippines: Residents are forcibly evicted due to possible volcano eruption.
Filipino soldiers, police and rescue workers began forcibly evacuating residents on Friday near the Mayon volcano, whose increasing activity indicates it could erupt violently in the coming weeks or days.
The area within a 6-kilometer () radius from the crater is assumed to be unlivable due to potential volcanic emissions, lava flows, and rockfall, among other hazards. But many poor residents have built houses and farms in the area for years.
Philippine authorities raised the alert level for the volcano in the northeastern province of Albay on Thursday after hot streams of gas, debris and rock cascaded down its slope, activity that could precede a dangerous eruption.