No wake allowed inside 8-km extended danger zone

By Celsao Amo LEGAZPI CITY --- There shall be no wake to be allowed inside the bereaved family’s home when such home is situated inside the restricted danger zone around Mayon Volcano. “The wake should be observed in a funeral parlor or relative’s home outside the danger zone,” Dr. Antonio Ludovice, Albay provincial health officer, made this clear during an interview Tuesday morning. Ludovice’s reminder came after reports revealed that relatives of evacuees who passed away during this period held their wake inside their homes that incidentally were situated inside the danger zone. Other evacuees who can’t hold the wake inside the evacuation center for sanitary reason mourn the death of their loved ones at the chapel near the evacuation center. Cedric Daep, Apsemo head, said there were two reports of a child and an 81-year-old man who died at the evacuation center. “But they died of natural illness and were not directly related to Mayon eruption,” said Daep. On Sunday, Elmer Añonuevo, 25, of Barangay Lidong in Sto. Domingo was driving his borrowed motorcycle at about 7:00 p.m. to visit his family at the evacuation site in Barangay Salvacion when he lost control of the motorcycle and fell into a canal. He lost consciousness from multiple injuries in the head and body due to the impact. Responders brought him to the municipal health office of Sto. Domingo for medical treatment. But Dr. Albert Alesna, the attending physician, pronounced him dead on arrival. Some 15,025 families or 56,555 persons are still staying inside 54 evacuation centers. Albay PHO said 198 evacuees suffered from acute respiratory infection, 38 fever, 13 open wounds and four from hypertension. The Albay provincial security and emergency management office(APSEMO) has ordered the 6 kilometer permanent danger zone including the 7 kilometer extended danger zone at the southeast flank up to the 8 kilometer extended danger zone around the volcano off limits to any human activity as Alert Level 4 remains in place.