Thousands of residents living at the foot of Philippines' most active volcano were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday after local seismology authorities issued warning of hazardous eruption "within weeks."

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) raised Mount Mayon to alert level 3 following an "escalation of unrest" that generated massive lava fragments and dozens of low-frequency earthquakes on Monday.

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Alert level 3, according to PHIVOLCS, means the magma is being spewed at the crater, signaling a possible eruption in a few weeks' time. Molten lava forming at the dome is making the volcano glow red at night, the bulletin released by PHILVOCS late Monday said.

Authorities in the Albay region ordered the forced evacuation of about 10,000 residents living within a 6-kilometer radius, reported CNN.

An expanded 7-kilometer danger zone has been outlined due to risks of sudden explosion, landslides and rock falls including sudden dome explosions that could eject hazardous volcanic flows, according to local news reports.

The Philippine military announced the deployment of 60 vehicles on Wednesday to assist in the evacuation of residents from areas that will be directly hit by the volcanic flows. Authorities believe they are capable of clearing the areas surrounding the volcano in three days, BBC reported.

Mayon is technically erupting, Renato Solidum, a local government official told AFP. But there has not been a major eruption yet, he added.

Presently, the volcano is ejecting fragments from previous volcanic eruptions, local PHIVOLCS chief Ed Laguerta said. What local authorities fear is the pyroclastic flow that could kill thousands of people, Laguarte explained.

Mount Mayon, known for its near-perfect conical shape, has erupted at least 40 times since volcanic eruption recording has begun. It erupted in May 2014, killing five mountain climbers. Its most destructive eruption happened 200 years ago and reportedly left 1,200 peole dead.

TagsMount Mayon, Philippine volcanic eruption, volcanic eruption, Evacuation