Rains unleashed by typhoon worry thousands of people fleeing restive Philippine volcano

By JIM GOMEZ and JOEAL CALUPITAN
Associated Press

BONGA, Philippines (AP) — Thousands of people who fled their homes in the central Philippines to escape a restive volcano have to contend with another threat that’s complicating the ongoing evacuations: monsoon rains that could be unleashed by an approaching typhoon. More than 6,000 villagers have been forced to leave rural communities within a 6-kilometer radius of Mayon volcano’s crater in northeastern Albay province. Officials say thousands more may also need to be moved to safety. Meanwhile authorities warn that Typhoon Guchol, which is approaching the Philippines from the Pacific but is projected to skirt the archipelago, may still dump heavy rains _ an unwelcome news for those living on Mayon’s slopes. A key tourist draw for its picturesque conical shape, Mayon last erupted in 2018.