At least 14,000 people were evacuated from the surrounding area from Mayon Volcano in the central Philippineswhich is spewing lava and releasing noxious gases, could force them to stay away from their homes for months, authorities said.

Lava gushes from the crater of the 2,462-meter-high Mayon volcano, the area of ​​which was on alert last week after tremors and hundreds of landslides were reported.

“Based on our previous experiences, this volcanic activity can persist for a few months,” Teresito Bacolcol, who heads the state volcanology and seismology service, told DZMM radio station, adding that residents living within a 6km radius of the volcano will need to remain in evacuation centers.

Figures from the disaster management agency show that the 14,000 people who have been evacuated have taken shelter in schools and community centres.

Larry Genaresas, a community leader in Albay province, told radio station DZMM that there was a need for more food and drinking water for the evacuees.

Mayon

Authorities noted that people living further from the volcano should also prepare for the possibility of having to evacuate their homes, while police have set up checkpoints to prevent those already evacuated from returning.

“We will ensure that those who were evacuated will not be able to return until directed to do so”regional police director Vestrimundo Obinke clarified.

Mayon, a tourist attraction due to its almost perfect conical shape, is among the most active of the Philippines’ 24 volcanoes and has erupted more than 50 times in the past four centuries. His most devastating explosion occurred in February 1841 when a town was buried under lava and 1,200 people lost their lives.