May 23, 1897 Eruption of Mayon
Mayon in the Philippines erupted on May 23, 1897 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 3. The eruption killed 350 people.
Where it erupted
Mayon, Philippines, with its other significant eruptions.
The eruption
- Date
- May 23, 1897
- Volcano
- Mayon, stratovolcano
- Country
- Philippines
- Volcanic Explosivity Index
- 3, moderate to large (eruption column 3 to 15 km)
- Killed by
- Pyroclastic flows, surges and direct blasts; Tephra (ash, bombs, lapilli, steam blasts); Mudflows and lahars
- Location
- 13.257° N, 123.685° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 350
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Large nuees burned victims or they suffocated by ash. 350 total from Saderra Maso and Sapper. Other estimates vary 250-400. 1 death at Bulawan R caused by lahar. Latter indicates 400 deaths in town of Libog. All but 56 of the 261 dead died during event - the rest during the following week.
Other significant eruptions of Mayon
More
Every eruption in 1897The 1800sMayonEarthquakes near MayonThis day in weather history
Sources
Volcanoes and significant eruptions from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. Volcano numbers are the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program’s. NCEI event 730.