Hanoi, May 4 -- Thousands of residents in the Philippines have been evacuated from areas south of Manila after Mayon volcano erupted, prompting authorities to enforce safety measures and raise the alert level.​

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) on May 3 raised the alert to Level 3 on its five-level scale after reporting "strombolian activity" and short-lived lava fountaining from one of the country's most active volcanoes.​

Authorities have advised residents to stay out of the six-kilometre permanent danger zone around the crater, warning of possible landslides, lava flows and hazardous ash emissions.​

According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, nearly 1,500 families ...