Manila - Mayon volcano in the eastern Philippines erupted this morning, spewing molten rocks and a thick cloud of hot ash from the crater, officials said.
Mr Raymundo Punongbayan, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said the alert level at the volcano in the eastern province of Albay has been raised from four to five.
The agency defines alert level five as a condition in which "hazardous eruption is in progress".