Bulusan spews ash as high as 5 kilometers

LEGASPI CITY – Mt. Bulusan in Sorsogon spewed ash anew yesterday, blanketing fields and villages as far as five kilometers away, weeks after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) lowered the alert status around the volcano from level 2 to 1.

Phivolcs director Renato Solidum said the 20-minute ash explosion occurred at 9:37 a.m., sending ashfalls to the towns of Juban, Bulusan, Irosin and Casiguran.

“Bulusan continues to be in a state of unrest due to swarms of small to moderate-sized quakes and ash explosion this morning,” said Solidum.

Phivolcs deputy director Bartolome Bautista described the event as “phreatic” or steam-driven explosion, adding there is no threat of an impending major eruption.

The Office of Civil Defense said there is no need for evacuation.

Orlando Guardacasa, resident volcanologist of Phivolcs based at the Cabid-an monitoring station in Sorsogon, said the explosion was preceded by at least 11 high frequency volcanic quakes on Monday night.

The reading for the sulfur gas emission was 224 tons last July 29, below the normal output of the volcano of 500 tons per day.

Guardacasa said that the ash explosion was the highest in Bulusan’s latest explosions, as residents of Albay and Catanduanes had observed the tip of the ash clouds for about an hour before winds drifted the ash toward Juban town.

“We do not have yet the estimate of the thickness of the ash fall this time. We need to first make an ocular inspection of the affected towns,” Guardacasa told The STAR in an interview.

Guardacasa added that the explosion, which was caused by the contact of rain water with hot volcanic materials, blanketed Barangays Cogon, Gulang-gulang, Bolos, Monbon, Gabao, all in Irosin town, as well as Barangays Puting Sapa, Sangkayon, Burburan, all in Juban town.

In fact, classes were suspended at the public central school in Irosin due to the ash fall.

Guardacasa said that Mt. Bulusan has spewed ash about 24 times this year.

Prior to yesterday’s event, Bulusan had a minor explosion last year that prompted Phivolcs to raise its alert level from 1 to 2.

Solidum stressed that alert level 1 remains in effect around the volcano, which means that the public is reminded not to enter the four-kilometer radius permanent danger zone as the area is at risk from sudden stream and ash explosions.

Residents living near the river or stream channels are likewise reminded about life-threatening volcanic mudflows or lahar during heavy rains that might mobilize ash and loosen deposits from the upper slopes.

In Manila yesterday, Lafayette Philippines Inc. sent a 14-man team to Sorsogon to help the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council address the needs of the residents.– With AP